Steam Gauge Collecting AN AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE
(Page 2 of 5)
March/April 1994
Barry L. David
A Bit of History
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In 1849, as the story goes, it all happened in a small machine
shop outside of Paris, France. In the process of making a worm pipe
for a still, a worker accidently flattened a coiled tube. In his
efforts to repair the pipe, he sealed one end and applied pressure
to the other. The curved tube, rather then resume its round shape,
began to uncoil. The shop owner, Eugene Bourdon, observed the
reaction and thus was born the principle idea behind the
Bourdon-Spring steam gauge.
Since its inception, hundreds of patents have been filed on the
pressure gauge. But most are simple variations on a common theme.
The Bourdon-Spring gauge has changed little since the early years.
What has changed, is the way it is made. The gauge still uses gears
and a pointer hand to transmit the movement of the horseshoe shaped
tube to a scale stamped on the dial (or face). However, the case
and dial have lost the exciting appearance that was given them
through the pride of the individual craftsman. Modern gauge mass
production lines stamp them out at a thousand a day. These gauges
have lost the individuality bestowed by the early gauge makers.
Early Gauge Makers
The Ashcroft Manufacturing Company was the first American firm
to produce the Bourdon-Spring steam gauge and is still making them
today. Its founder, Edward H. Ashcroft, saw a demonstration of the
gauge at the World's Fair in London, England. Ashcroft, already
in the steam apparatus business and a noted inventor in his own
right, instantly recognized the potential of the instrument, and
purchased the American rights. In fact, it is this gauge that has
kept the company afloat for over 140 years while all its other
early products were discontinued.
Prior to the turn of the century, only a handful of
manufacturers made gauges. Early on, Ashcroft sold a franchise for
the patent to the American Steam Gauge Company. In the late 1870s,
as the first patents expired and the gauge became public domain,
Crosby Steam Gauge and Jas. P. Marsh & Company entered the
market.
The User Company
If I were forced to concede one single aspect of gauge hounding
that most intrigued me, it would be the USER COMPANY (see
figure A). An easy choice when you consider that it is the
presence of the user company name that helps differentiate the
classic from the modern. Modern mass production techniques make it
impractical to individualize the gauge with the buyers name. Every
so often, a generic gauge (one without a user name) can be
exciting, if it's old or rare enough. However, for the vast
majority of truly exciting gauges, the user name is stamped on the
dial.
It's the user company name that gives the gauge its
pedigree. The style of case and the type of Bourdon-Tube help to
limit the possible applications, but only the user name can
determine the purpose of the gauge.
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