Benoît Rouquayrol

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Benoît Rouquayrol (1826–1875) was a French inventor. Along with Auguste Denayrouze, Rouquayrol invented a diving suit and breathing apparatus.

Biography

Benoît Rouquayrol was born on June 13, 1826, at

. He became employed at a company involved in bituminous coal mining and foundries in Aveyron, and became the director of accounting by 1865.

In 1860, Rouquayrol became concerned with mine safety problems related to

.

Rouquayrol died on November 14, 1875, at Rodez, Aveyron, France.

Chronology of patents and inventions

• April 14, 1860: Rouquayrol disclosed a patent for a regulator designed for a rescue-apparatus for miners who were victims of firedamp or asphyxiation
• January 16, 1862: Rouquayrol disclosed a patent for the "Rouquayrol Isolator" composed of a regulator with a diving mask fitted over the nose and mouth, using a vulcanized rubber seal affixed inside a metallic beak. This system eliminated the need for a heavy metallic diving helmet.
• August 25, 1863: a patent for a "hydraulic joint" pressurizing pump, in which the pistons were fixed and the body of the pump moved.

Additionally, Rouquayrol contributed to related inventions in co-operation with Auguste Denayrouze and others.

External links

• (in French) Musée du Scaphandre (Diving Suit Museum), Escalion, France
• "The Submarine Technology of Jules Verne" from Undersea Warfare, the official magazine of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force. Winter 2004.