Carburetor
The first carburetor was invented by Samuel Morey in 1826. The first person to patent a carburetor for use in a petroleum engine was Siegfried Marcus with his 6 July 1872 patent for a device which mixes fuel with air.
Rochester Products Division
The company is best known for the Quadrajet carburetor, which was originally designed in the 1960s and remained in production, with modifications to meet progressively tightening exhaust emission limits, into the 1980s. The Quadrajet became computer controlled in 1980 in California and in 1981 in the rest of the states; its last application was on the 1990 Cadillac Brougham and 1990 full size GM station wagons with the Olds 307 engine. RPD was a pioneer in fuel injection systems in road cars in the 1980s. In addition to carburetors, Rochester also made various emissions control equipment such as charcoal canisters and EGR valves, which found use in GM vehicles as well as those from other makes. Other products made at this plant were locks and keys as well as steel tubing for both vehicular and non-vehicular applications. The last major carburetor design by Rochester was the Varajet II, essentially a Quadrajet halved lengthwise, and was one of the few successful progressive 2-barrel carburetors. It was installed on 4- and 6-cylinder engines from 1979 to 1986.