U.S. Census Bureau June 18: Robert Patch
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2013 -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
TUESDAY, JUNE 18: PATENTLY PRECOCIOUS
Profile America - Tuesday, June 18th. Most little boys at the age of 6 are content to play with toy trucks without thinking about how they could be improved. This was not the case for Robert Patch. He designed a truck that could be assembled and disassembled easily by a youngster - and changed into different types of truck each time, such as a dump truck or a closed van. Patch submitted his application and drawings in 1962, and in June a year later, he was granted a patent - surely one of the youngest Americans ever to hold a patent. In 2010, nearly a quarter-million patents were granted - just under 17,000 of them to individuals. Most are awarded to domestic and foreign corporations. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.
Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 778