U.S. patent application number 10/267085 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-15 for sport glove with web attachment.
Invention is credited to Wheelington, Wade L. II.
Application Number | 20040068777 10/267085 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32068340 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040068777 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wheelington, Wade L. II |
April 15, 2004 |
Sport glove with web attachment
Abstract
An improved ball capturing sports glove incorporating a web
attachment between the thumb and forefinger is disclosed. The web
preferably consists of a unitary relatively thin sheet of material
forming an extension of the palm portion of the glove and may be
comprised of a variety of materials that facilitate the capturing
and holding of a thrown ball including rough surfaced and
tacktified leather.
Inventors: |
Wheelington, Wade L. II;
(US) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHN M. BRANDT
60 THAXTER ST.
HINGHAM
MA
02043
US
|
Family ID: |
32068340 |
Appl. No.: |
10/267085 |
Filed: |
October 9, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/161.1 ;
2/19 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 71/143
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/161.1 ;
002/019 |
International
Class: |
A41D 019/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A sports glove for use in capturing a game ball comprising in
combination: a. A back portion; b. A palm portion joined to said
back portion, said palm and back portions in combination adapted to
cover the fingers of a hand; c. A thumb covering portion attached
to said palm and back portions: and d. A web of material connected
between said thumb portion and said palm and back portions, said
web extending from at least the position of the knuckle of said
thumb portion and at least the position of the first knuckle of the
index finger of the palm and back portions.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said web comprises an extension
of said palm portion.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said palm portion and said web
portion are comprised of a grip enhancing material.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said grip enhancing material
comprises tactified leather.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upper part of said palm and
back portions are divided into separate finger covering portions.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a utility patent application based on
the disclosure of U.S. Design Pat. No. D450,161 S issued Nov. 6,
2001 to the same inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention resides in the field of gloves worn in the
practice of sports and more particularly relates to gloves designed
to catch or capture and secure a thrown ball.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] A variety of arrangements for enhancing the gripping power
of a glove are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
2,167,226, Wells et al, shows a dress glove with a plurality of
small, regularly placed rubber gripping elements disposed on the
palm and thumb while U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,523 discloses neoprene
gripping patches located on the finger tips and palm of a football
glove.
[0006] Further, U.S. Pat. No. 1,179,871, St. John, presents a glove
having a substantial part of the palm side coated with a non-sticky
gum and similarly U.S. Pat. No. 2,465,136 illustrates a golfer's
glove with an alveolated or sponge rubber palm surface. U.S. Pat.
No. 4,691,387, Lopez; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,578, Stanley, relate
to gloves arranged to enhance the gripping of sports implements
such as baseball bats or golf clubs or the like.
[0007] Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,553, Howard, discloses a padded
football glove having a palm side composed of friction material
while U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,830, Chen, provides an anti-slip pad
attached to a wrist flap in combination with a wrinkle releasing
slot positioned on the palm.
[0008] In contrast to the prior art, the invention disclosed herein
presents a unique structural improvement to a glove which greatly
enhances the ability of a sports player to capture and hold a
thrown ball. The improvement consists of a web attachment between
the thumb and forefinger and is particularly suitable for the game
of football.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention may be summarized as a sports glove having a
web disposed between the thumb and forefinger consisting of a
relatively thin sheet of flexible material, preferably forming an
extension of the same sheet material used to fabricate the palm
portion of the glove. The web enhances the ball capturing ability
of the glove by presenting a greater ball contact surface area and
by combining the forefinger and thumb as a single structural
entity.
[0010] The web is stretched taught as the forefinger and thumb are
parted to the maximum extent allowed by the hands physical
structure and may extend from the tip of each or a lesser amount
from at least the first knuckle of each.
[0011] The construction of the entire glove is relatively light in
the nature of a general purpose gardening or work glove and may
include a palm and web surface composed of a material such as a
rough or tacktified leather which will further assist in capturing
and holding a ball.
[0012] These and other features and advantages of the invention
will become more clear from the description of the preferred
embodiment taken with the drawing which follows.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The FIGURE is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] Referring to the FIGURE, a plan view of the enhanced ball
capturing sports glove comprising the preferred embodiment of the
invention is shown in which a back portion 10 and palm portion 12
are joined together by continuous seam 14 to form a glove which
will completely cover the four fingers of a hand. The back portion
is preferably constructed of a suitable synthetic material such as
spandex and/or synthetic leather and the palm portion of a grip
enhancing material such as tactified leather available from Active
Sport Products, West Chester, Ohio. While shown in glove format
with individual finger coverings, the invention may also be
constructed as a mitt.
[0015] Thumb covering portion 16 is sewn to palm portion 12 along
seam 18 and, as illustrated, comprises a front portion 20 and back
portion 22, preferably constructed of tacktified leather and
spandex and/or synthetic leather respectively.
[0016] Web 24 is disposed between thumb portion 16 and the upper
index finger covering edge 26 of palm portion 12. Web 24 provides
the enhanced ball capturing improvement of the glove which is the
primary feature of the invention. Web 24 extends at least between
the knuckle of the thumb portion and the first knuckle of the index
covering edge of back portion 10 and palm portion 12 and as shown
may extend to the tips of the thumb and index finger covering
portions. Preferably, the construction material of web 24 is
tactified leather and, as illustrated, may comprise an extension of
palm portion 12 for strength reinforced by seam 28 or may
constitute a separate unit attached by stitching.
[0017] As will be seen, the web provides an enhanced ball capturing
capability by increasing the surface area of the glove, by joining
the index finger and thumb as a unit, and, when tactified leather
or a similar material is employed, presenting a surface of
increased gripping power than is normally found in conventional
gloves
[0018] As variations in the above described preferred embodiment
will now become obvious to those skilled in the art, the invention
is accordingly defined by the following claims.
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