In 1915, Ervin G. Bailey, a mechanical engineer born in Ohio and educated at The Ohio State University, invented the Bailey boiler meter. He then founded Bailey Meter Company, forerunner of Bailey Controls, in 1916, to manufacture his invention. The new meters revolutionized operation of steam boilers and laid the foundation for modern process control systems used in factories around the world.
The meter monitored both the condition of the steam flow and the airflow in boilers, giving boiler operators more accurate information on air usage and steam output. The meter set the direction for future automatic boiler controls, and helped advance process control systems as we know them today. Bailey also held several other patents that focused on increasing the efficiency of coal burners. In 1979, CCI Controls acquired the Bailey line of control valves.
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