site.btaProf. Eng. Nikola Belopitov, Author of First Bulgarian Patent Abroad, Is Also Founder of Many Plants in Bulgaria

The professor and engineer Nikola Belopitov (1901-1972) is the author of the first Bulgarian patent registered abroad, as well as the founder of many plants in Bulgaria. Among them are the Elprom plant, the low-current and the high-current plants, the Bulgarian Patent Office told BTA.

The Belopitov Method, as a number of scientists call the electrospark coating, is a cheap, accessible and efficient way of laying precious metals onto metal surfaces. Designed for telephone exchanges, it proved to be applicable to many other electric devices. Thanks to this invention the unpleasant parasite noises in the earpieces of millions of people around the world disappeared. Eng. Belopitov began work on his idea as early as 1951, and in 1957 for the first time a Bulgarian invention received a patent in Germany. In 1958 the method was introduced in the USSR with a decree of the minister of communications. The GDR, USA, UK, Argentine, Norway and other countries followed.

Eng. Belopitov was awarded the honorary sign on the Institute for Inventions and Rationalizations (IIR). On May 31, 1988 he was inscribed in the Golden Book of the Bulgarian Patent Office. 

Belopitov was born in the town of Panagyurishte on August 15, 1901. During the First World War he studied in the high school in his hometown. After graduating in electrical engineering in Germany, he returned to his hometown and began working at the "Vucha" hydro syndicate, his main activities being related to the electrification of Panagyurishte. In 1929-1930 he oversaw the completion of the Panagyurishte - Pazardhik distribution line. 

In 1931 Belopitov moved to Sofia where he began work at the Sofia telephone works as a mechanic, later he became head of research at the administration of the Chief Directorate of Post, Telegraphs and Telephones. In 1938, together with Georgy Kovachev and Todor Prahov, he became the founder of the firm BEKOP, dealing with manufacturing and selling radio sets, low-current and the high-current devices and facilities. The firm also worked for the armed forces, designing the first Bulgarian metal detectors and devices for setting off mines by radio signal.

After 1945 Belopitov was appointed technical director of the Chief Directorate of Post, Telegraphs and Telephones. In 1946 under his guidance began the establishment of the low-current plant in Sofia, which became operational in 1949. The plant was the basis for the creation of new specialized types of industrial production such as Resprom, "Automation and construction of devices", "Organizational and computing devices", which allowed for the creation of a fast and reliable communication network. 

The Research and Development Design Institute for the Electronic Industry was established in 1962, which Nikola Belopitov headed for three years. He managed to turn the institute into a research and development center of the electrotechnical industry in the country. Among the institute's most successful products were a series of asynchronous engines for general usage, electrotelfers, electric drives for forklift trucks, vertical hydro generators, power transformers etc. Water heaters, accumulating heaters and boilers were created for home usage. In 1980 with a decree of the State Council the Institute of Electrotechnical Industry was named after him. The professional technical high school in Panagyurishte also bears his name.