Even back in the early days of industrial America, a require for fire safe measures was already being known. In the textile mills, with their highly-combustible stuffs, sprinkler systems of perforated pipe were set up. These first systems were not automated and had to be worked by hand. So, in 1872, Philip W. Pratt proprietary the first automatic sprinkler system. It was an advance on the hand-operated system, but not much. This system was followed in 1874 by an built one which proffered the first practical sprinkler head. The discoverer, Henry S. Parmalee, set up the prototype in his own piano factory.