Lanston, Tolbert definition of Lanston, Tolbert in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Lanston, Tolbert (tŏl`bərt), 1844–1913, American inventor, b. Troy, Ohio. Lanston spent his youth on an Iowa farm and served in the military throughout the Civil War. For 22 years he was a clerk in the U.S. Pension Office, and during that time he studied law and gained admission to the bar. His first patents for his typesetting machine, the Monotype (see printing printing, means of producing reproductions of written material or images in multiple copies. There are four traditional types of printing: relief printing (with which this article is mainly concerned), intaglio, lithography, and screen process printing.
..... Click the link for more information. ), were granted in 1885. Lanston resigned his government position and worked for the rest of his life at perfecting and manufacturing his invention, which was marketed in 1897.

Lanston, Tolbert (1844–1913) inventor; born in Troy, Ohio. He served in the Civil War and then became a clerk in the U.S. Pension Office (1865–87). In his spare time, he invented and patented several mechanical works. In 1887, he received the first patents for his "monotype" machine—which was really two machines for composing and casting type. He formed the Lanston Monotype Manufacturing Company and continued to make various improvements on his machines.