265 - Gaston RAGOT

RAGOT, resident of Ixelles (Belgium) had invented an apparatus for carburetting air with hydrocarbons for use in lighting or heating. He obtained a British patent on 5 November 1879. [1]

The abstract of the patent reads:

The usual chambers of a wet meter are divided by partitions of metallic gauze c which descend at each revolution into the naphtha with which the meter is charged instead of water. Air entering by the siphon becomes carburetted in passing through these gauze partitions and escapes to the burners through an exit tube in the roof. Instead of the gauze partitions a woven cotton or woollen or wire gauge cap may be used surrounding the open cylindrical portion of the drum; the cap is supported by circular metallic bands soldered on the drum. The naphtha is maintained at constant level by a plunger tube from an outside reservoir dipping beneath the surface of the naphtha in the chamber a, or by a cock with lever and float.

On 27 November 1879 RAGOT filed his corresponding application in Luxembourg under the title of: 

Appareil perfectionné propre à la carburation de l’air au moyen de naphte ou d’autres hydrocarbures pour la production d’un gaz d’éclairage et de chauffage

The patent was granted on 17 July 1880 under the new Patent Law. [2] 

Further patents for the novel apparatus were secured in Germany, France and Spain. [3]

RAGOT later associated with SMYERS (see No 252) to develop a "Petroleum and gas engine" which they patented jointly in 1886. [4] 

They created in Brussel a company by the name of "Société anonyme des moteurs inexplosibles au pétrole ordinaire ou au gaz" for valorising their patents.

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[1] GB patent No 4,519/1879

[2] LU patent No 15

[3] DE application 4,234/1880, ES patent No 699, FR patent No 143,386

[4] US patent No 350,769

(29/01/2021)