In 1849 the Bourdon tube pressure gauge was patented in France by Eugene Bourdon. It is still one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the pressure of liquids and gases of all kinds, including steam, water, and air up to pressures of 100,000 pounds per square inch. Eugene Bourdon founded the Bourdon Sedeme Company to manufacture his invention.

The American patent rights to Eugene Bourdon's gauge were bought by Edward Ashcroft in 1852. Ashcroft played an important role in the widespread adoption of steam power in this country. He renamed Bourdon's gauge, the Ashcroft gauge.