Bruce's and Closely Related Typecasters

1. Introduction

The typecasting machines patented by David Bruce, Jr. in 1838 and following are generally cited as the first practical typecasting machines. (See for example { Huss. The Development of Printers' Mechanical Typesetting Methods: 1822-1925 }.

In { Practical Typecasting } Rehak discusses - and gives detailed operational instructions for - pivotal typecasters of the Bruce style. Rehak writes of hundreds of these machines in operation at American Type Founders Company (ATF) in the early Twentieth century:

"In the halcyon days of ATF the largest, busiest, and most intriguing casting bays were those in the Hand and Steam Department. Here, side by side and row after row, were the hand-cranked pivotal casting machines and their powered "steamer" counterparts (driven from pulleys and flat belts) which could cast anything in a myriad of matrix-drives on 3- to 208-point bodies." (11)

He also writes of their wide use (often with improvised adaptations) in independent typecasting operations:

"Many of these machines [pivotal casters] spent their last days casting jobbing work in unusual sizes or casting from Monotype display (or even Linotype) matrices with dangerous, cobbled-up adapter." (11)

Rehak says of the pivotal caster that it

"... casts unfinished type of superior quality." (11)

Given all of this, I think that it would qualify as a "foundry" typecaster, even if it ended up in use next to a "sorts" typecaster.

2. Biographical Sketch by Loy

This biographical sketch of David Bruce appeared in { William Loy's series "Designers and Engravers of Type: No. 14 - David Bruce." The Inland Printer. Vol. 22, No. 6 (March 1899): 701 }. The image here is fuzzy because it is simply a screengrab of the Google Books PDF.

3. An 1834 Pump?

{ Powell. A Short History of the Art of Printing in England , p. 34} has the following tantalizing remark:

"Large letters could not be cast well [in hand molds] in the same manner as smaller ones, as they required a greater force of metal than could be obtained by pouring from a ladle and jerking the mould. David Bruce, of New York, overcame this difficulty in 1834, by fixing in the metal pot a small pump, to the nozzle of which the mouth of the mold was held with the left hand, while the handle of the pump was jerked downwards with the right. This great improvement was quickly adopted in all foundries." (34)

This pump, if this report is accurate, would predate his 1838 typecasting machine. The report might be accurate, because Powell does understand what a full Bruce-style casting machine does; he continues:

"It was from this hand-pump that the type-casting machine was developed. Many inventors endeavored to solve the problem, Mr. Henry Bessemer very nearly doing so in 1838. Mr. Bruce, however, was the first who successfully accomplished the task. His machine was introduced into Britain in 1848 by Messrs. Miller and Richard, who also improved it. In it the opening and closing of the mould, the advancement of it to the nipple of the pump, and the injection of the metal, are done automatically. It is now used in all the chief foundries, and is driven by steam power." (34)

4. The Bruce Typecaster Patents

The typecasting machine of David Bruce, Jr, from his March 1, 1838 patent (US Patent No. 632; yes, that's 00,000,632), "Machine for Casting Printing-Types."

Here it is in 1843 (US Patent No. 3,324, "Improvement in Type-Casting Machines.")

Bruce's 1868 patent No. 83,828 (1868-11-10, "Improvement in Type-Casting Machines") improved upon the motion control of this machine, but the patent does not illustrate a complete machine and so doesn't quite fit the present high-level survey.

{ Ringwalt. American Encyclopedia of Printing. (1871) , p 249/g286} lists:

• David Bruce, Jr. March 10, 1838 (Casting)
• David Bruce, Jr. Nov. 6, 1843. "A machine for casting type." Patent extended for seven years from Nov. 6, 1867.
• David Bruce, Jr. June 7, 1845. "A machine for casting type, by which the hand brocess is imitated as nearly as possible. This is done by having the mould placed upon a crane at an inclination of about fifty degrees from the perpendicular, by which greater freedom is given to the discharge of the type; and, as in the process of hand casting, the lifting of the matrix precedes that of the opening of the mould. Extended seven years form June 7, 1845 [sic]"
• David Bruce [Jr.?] July 28, 1868. "This apparatus is attached to a type-casting machine, so as to receive the type as fast as cast, and break off the jet or stem of metal adhering thereto, by continuous consecutive operation."

5. Images of Bruce/Pivotal Typecasters

Here is a Bruce typecaster from not later than 1871. My source is { DeVinne's The Practice of Typography. (1900) }, but this is the same image used in { Huss' The Development of Printers' Mechanical Typesetting Methods. (1973) }, who in turn cites { Ringwalt. American Encyclopedia of Printing. (1871) } (which does indeed show the same cut, on p. 477 (or p. 542 of the Google Books PDF)).

{ DeVinne, 23}

Below is a hand typecaster clearly in the Bruce style, from not later than 1877 (probably in England):

{ Powell, p. 34}

Below is a Bruce typecaster from not later than 1896:

{ Skopeo, p. 254}

6. Southward on Bruce Typecasters and their Adoption in the UK

John Southward, in { Progress in Printing and the Graphic Arts during the Victorian Era . (London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., Ltd., 1897.) , pp. 59-60} has this to say about the Bruce type caster and its adoption in the United Kingdom.

7. George Bruce

{ Ringwalt. American Encyclopedia of Printing. (1871) , p 250/g287} lists: George Bruce. US patent November 14, 1854. "This invention consists in a blast to cool the type-mould, by means of a tube, in the operation of casting."

8. Conner

The 1872 patent of James M. Conner (US No. 129,106, 1872-07-16, "Improvements in Type-Casting Machines") references and claims to improve upon Bruce's 1843 patent No. 3,324.