George Bruce (Design patent)
Encyclopedia
George Bruce was a Scottish-American inventor and businessman. Co-owner of a type foundry
in New York, on 9 November 1842 he was awarded the first design patent
(a new form of patent
authorized by Act of Congress
) for fonts (printing typefaces and borders).
Emigrating from Scotland
to the United States in July 1795, he was one of the most successful type designers in the 19th century. His inventions included numerous fonts and improvements to type-casting machines.
He was the father of philanthropist Catherine Wolfe Bruce
.
Type foundry
A type foundry is a company that designs or distributes typefaces. Originally, type foundries manufactured and sold metal and wood typefaces and matrices for line-casting machines like the Linotype and Monotype machines designed to be printed on letterpress printers...
in New York, on 9 November 1842 he was awarded the first design patent
Design patent
In the United States, a design patent is a patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers and computer icons are examples of objects that are covered by design...
(a new form of patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
authorized by Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
) for fonts (printing typefaces and borders).
Emigrating from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to the United States in July 1795, he was one of the most successful type designers in the 19th century. His inventions included numerous fonts and improvements to type-casting machines.
He was the father of philanthropist Catherine Wolfe Bruce
Catherine Wolfe Bruce
Catherine Wolfe Bruce was a noted American philanthropist and patroness of astronomy.She was the daughter of the famous type founder George Bruce and Catherine Wolfe...
.
External links
- Designers & Engravers of Type, Oak Knoll, New Castle, Delaware