- The Bourbon Tube gauge was invented around 1850. This pressure gauge is still one of the most commonly used today. It was made in France by Eugene Bourbon.
- The Bourbon Gauge has what is called a Bourbon Tube. The tube is located inside the gauge. The tube has one end that is sealed and another end that is connected to an inlet pipe. The inlet pipe is in direct contact with the gas or liquid. The inlet pipe allows a gas or liquid to flow into the Bourbon Tube.
- The Bourbon Tube is a coiled piece of metal that is closed on one end and open on the other. When the pressure increases in the tube to a point greater than outside the tube, the Bourbon Tube will uncoil.
- Located behind a clear plastic cover is an indicator or pointer. The pointer will move to show the pressure has increased when the Bourbon Tube uncoils. When the pressure in the Bourbon Tube has decreased, the pointer will move to show the pressure has been reduced.
- The benefits of pressure gauges far outweigh any negative aspects. A pressure gauge can mean the difference between properly flowing liquids or gases, or a major catastrophe such as an explosion. Although many automobile pressure gauges are internal, many still have visible oil-pressure gauges. These gauges show when your oil pressure is where it should be or you might be having a problem.
- There are many types of pressure gauges. They range from the very small to quite large. The common theme they have is to gauge or measure pressure. Some of these types of gauges are tire-pressure gauges, oil-pressure gauges, barometric-pressure gauges and blood-pressure gauges.
