Eugène Bourdon (1808–1884) was a French

watchmaker A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their par ...

and

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

. He is the inventor of the

Bourdon tube Bourdon derives from the French for bumblebee, and may refer to: * Bourdon (bell), the lowest bell in a set * Bourdon (organ pipe), a stopped organ pipe of a construction favored for low pitches * Bourdon (surname) * Drone (music): The lowest cou ...

pressure gauge for which he obtained a patent in 1849.

Biography

Eugène Bourdon was born in Paris on 8 April 1808, the son of a silk merchant. From elementary school, he showed an interest in mechanical devices. His father sent him to

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

for 2 years to learn German. Back in Paris, he assisted his father in his business until his father died in 1830. Eugène then worked in an optician's shop until 1832, when he set up his own workshop. Eugène specialized in

scientific instrument A scientific instrument is a device or tool used for scientific purposes, including the study of both natural phenomena and theoretical research. History Historically, the definition of a scientific instrument has varied, based on usage, laws, an ...

s and model steam engines. While searching for a mechanism to measure gas pressure, without the use of a mercury

manometer Pressure measurement is the measurement of an applied force by a fluid (liquid or gas) on a surface. Pressure is typically measured in units of force per unit of surface area. Many techniques have been developed for the measurement of pressu ...

, he imagined using the bending of a circular tube made of a metal with good elastic properties. From this he developed the

pressure gauge, patented in Paris on 18 June 1849, and he granted a licence to the workshops of Felix Richard (1809-1876). His invention was crowned with the gold medal at the

World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

in 1849. Two years later, at the World's Fair in 1851, he was awarded the Council Medal, shared with his competitor, Lucien Vidi.

Death

Bourdon died on 29 September 1884 and is buried in the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourdon, Eugene 19th-century French inventors 1808 births 1884 deaths Businesspeople from Paris