U.S. patent number 3,838,853 [Application Number 05/334,120] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-01 for weighted exercise glove.
Invention is credited to Eva Redick Fredenhagen.
United States Patent |
3,838,853 |
Fredenhagen |
October 1, 1974 |
WEIGHTED EXERCISE GLOVE
Abstract
A glove to be worn on the hands of persons, and particularly
practicing pianists, to exercise their fingers by the lifting of
weights applied so as to resist raising of each finger
independently. A selectively replaceable weight is inserted into a
rearwardly opening pocket overlying the terminal phalange of each
finger. The opening of the pocket includes a margin free of
attachment structure but constructed out of material which causes
the free margin to be pulled tight against the glove when the glove
is worn. Thus the weights are captured in their pockets when the
glove is worn and are captured in their working positions by
fitting into the depressions over the finger nails and against the
raised and forwardly faced shoulders of skin tissue at the quick of
the nails.
Inventors: |
Fredenhagen; Eva Redick
(Beverly Hills, CA) |
Family
ID: |
23305672 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/334,120 |
Filed: |
February 20, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/105; 84/468;
2/161.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B
15/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09B
15/06 (20060101); G09B 15/00 (20060101); G09b
015/06 (); A63b 023/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;272/57R,57D,67,81
;84/468 ;2/159,161R,161A,160,167,168,250 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Stouffer; R. T.
Claims
Having described my invention, I claim:
1. A weighted exercising glove fitted to the hand and including
joined back and palm pieces with individual finger enclosing
extensions and a thumb enclosing piece extending from the palm
piece and in alignment with the first adjacent finger enclosing
extension, a rearwardly opening pocket overlying the dorsal side of
the third and terminal phalange portion of each finger enclosing
extension of the back piece and including the dorsal side of the
thumb enclosing piece, the opening of each pocket being defined by
a margin free of attachment means connecting the extension and the
pocket thereof, which margin is pulled tight onto the dorsal side
of the glove extension whenever the glove is worn by a user, there
being a selective weight replaceably inserted into each pocket when
the glove is removed from the hand of a user and captured therein
by said margin to overlie the terminal phalange at such time as the
glove is worn by a user.
2. The weight exercising glove as set forth in claim 1 and wherein
the pockets are of supple and stretchable material and each with a
substantially nonstretchable free margin to pull tight onto the
dorsal side of the glove extension, closing the pocket and thereby
capturing the weight therein.
3. The weight exercising glove as set forth in claim 1 and wherein
the selective weights are concavo-convex and of elongated
configuration with a cylindrically convex inner wall to fit upon
the dorsal side of the terminal phalange and with a convex compound
curved exterior.
4. The weight exercising glove as set forth in claim 1 and wherein
the selective weights are concavo-convex and of elongated
configuration substantially coextensive with the longitudinal
extent of the terminal phalange of each finger and thumb.
5. The weight exercising glove as set forth in claim 1 and wherein
the selective weights are concavo-convex and of elongated
configuration substantially coextensive with the longitudinal
extent of the terminal phalange of each finger and thumb and with a
cylindrically concave inner wall to fit upon the dorsal side of the
terminal phalange and with a convex compound curved exterior.
6. The weight exercising glove as set forth in claim 1, wherein the
selective weights are concavo-convex and of elongated configuration
substantially coextensive with the longitudinal extent of the
terminal phalange of each finger and thumb and with a cylindrically
concave inner wall to fit upon the dorsal side of the terminal
phalange and with a convex compound curved exterior, and wherein
the pockets are of supple and stretchable material and each with a
substantially nonstretchable free margin to pull tight onto the
dorsal side of the glove extension, closing the pocket and thereby
capturing the weight therein.
Description
The vocation of a pianist calls for practice and exercise, and the
piano is a percussive instrument which requires force to be applied
by the fingers upon a keyboard and which operates an action that
strikes the strings with hammers. Thus, the manual control and
actuation of the piano keys and action requires muscular ability
and physical control, and all of which must be perfected.
Heretofore, many arrangements have been contrived to promote the
exercise and control of finger muscles, and among these there have
been gloves in which the fingers are weighted, such as disclosed in
my Letters U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,034 issued Feb. 28, 1956. Said
patent teaches close-fitting sheaths encasing the finger tips and
miniature weights as well, the sheath comprising a rubber coating.
Despite the general practicality of my prior art Finger Exercising
Glove, there are features thereof which limit their use, which
encumber them and which make them difficult to manufacture.
Firstly, the weights were installed in such a way that they could
not be changed. Secondly, the encasing sheaths of rubber over the
finger tips altered and/or destroyed the feel of the fingers upon
the keys. And thirdly, the process of encasing the weights in
rubber and simultaneously in place was difficult, time consuming
and consequently expensive.
In view of the desired effects resulting from the use of gloves
weighted in the manner heretofore provided, it is a general object
of this invention to extend their utility, to unencumber them and
to facilitate their manufacture. With the present invention an
improved exercise glove is provided wherein; firstly the weights
that are carried thereby are selectively replaceable, secondly the
rubber encasements are eliminated and a direct feel through a
single layer of material is restored, and thirdly a single added
feature is applied to the glove which is otherwise conventional and
unaltered. Consequently, any suitable glove design and/or
manufacturing technique can be employed with the added feature
characterized by a pocket overlying each finger tip.
An object of this invention is to provide a glove with a single
feature of minimum complexity and which affords several
improvements, namely to provide for selective replaceability of
weights, to eliminate prior art encumbrances, and to facilitate
manufacturing. In accordance with the present invention, a pocket
overlies the dorsal side of each finger in the area of the third
row of phalanges, including the thumb. That is, a pocket overlies
the terminal phalange and in each instance a pocket that is closed
at its outer end of the finger and opened toward the back of the
hand.
Another object of this invention is to provide a glove of the type
under consideration wherein the feel required for the development
of dexterity is not impaired any more than necessary; and to this
end a tight fitting supple glove is employed and which clings to
the hand. In accordance with the invention, the pockets that carry
the weights are tight constrictive pockets fitting onto the said
weights when the glove is on the hand of the person, but otherwise
loose when the glove is removed from the hand. The latter condition
supplies accessibility for selective replacement of weights.
Further, the operative position of the weight is in each instance
assured by its complementary fit within the tightly constrictive
pocket and against the contour of the person's finger as
established by the depression of uniform convexity and defined by
the confining shoulder established by the flesh at the quick. Thus,
the weights are assuredly captured in working position and are not
loose during finger exercises.
DRAWINGS
The various objects and features of this invention will be fully
understood from the following detailed description of the typical
preferred form and application thereof, throughout which
description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a back view of the weighted glove.
FIG. 2 is a palm view of the weighted glove.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of a finger tip and taken as
indicated by line 3--3 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a section taken as
indicated by line 4--4 in FIG. 3.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A right-hand glove is shown disassociated from the hand of a
person, except in FIG. 3 where the fingernail depression and
shoulder of the quick is shown, and it is to be understood that a
left-hand glove is also provided as a mirror opposite of that which
is shown. Generally, the glove involves a back piece 10, a palm
piece 11 and a thumb piece 12. It is preferred that the glove be
tight fitting and is therefore made of kidskin or the like which is
a supple and pliant leather that can be stretched onto the hand.
Also, it is preferred that the glove be adapted to variations in
hand size, in which case the pieces 10, 11 and 12 are joined into
the glove formation by elastic webs, there being an elastic web 13
coextensive with the inside of the thumb piece 12, and there being
an elastic web 14 coextensive with both sides of the remaining four
fingers, the inside web of the index finger and the outside web of
the little finger continuing to the wrist. The webs 13 and 14 are,
in practice, made of a stretchable textile such as jersey or the
like. The finger tips of each back piece and palm piece are sewn
together and the webs 13 and 14 are sewn coextensively to the
pieces between which they extend. The thumb piece 12 is sewn into
an elongated opening in the palm piece 11 and in alignment with the
index finger portion thereof, both the back piece 10 and palm piece
11 having extended finger portions for each of the fingers but the
thumb. Each finger therefore, including the thumb, has an anterior
and a dorsal side comprised of a single uninterrupted layer of
material, such as for example a thin layer of supple leather.
In accordance with the invention, a pocket 20 of supple and pliant
leather is secured to each finger top of the glove, the pockets
being sewn along both sides and around the tip of each extended
finger portion, including the thumb. The pockets 20 overlie the
finger extensions of the back piece 11 coextensive with the third
row of, or terminal, phalanges, and open rearwardly at the dorsal
side of the finger and toward the back or wrist of the hand. The
free margin of the pocket is reinforced by a rope stitch 21 that is
substantially nonstretchable. In practice, the termination of the
pocket 20 and location of the stitch 21 is at or overlying the
joint between the second and third row of phalanges as shown.
The glove is equiped with an elastic wrist band 25 disposed
transversely of the palm piece 11, to constrict the glove onto the
hand.
The weights 30 are preferably of heavy metal of concavo-convex
configuration and each adapted to overlie the dorsal side of a
third, or terminal, phalange. The weights 30 are elongated solids
each with a cylindrically concaved inner face 31 that fits over the
dorsal side of the finger between the tip of the nail, overlying
the nail, and the joint of the second and third phalanges. The
exterior face 32 is convexly curved (compound) from the ovular
perimeter of the weight to give it a domed configuration. Thus, the
weight 30 of solid metal such as lead ranges from 1/8 to 3/4 of an
ounce as circumstances require. Normally, a 1/4 ounce weight is
first employed, followed by use of increased weights as and when
muscular development is attained. However, in no case does
excessive weight benefit the exerciser and it is significant that
the use of uniform weights is commensurate with the uniformity in
action of the keys which are activated during exercising.
In carrying out the invention, a set of weights 30 of uniform size
is inserted into the loose pockets 20 of the glove before wearing.
The faces 31 are opposed to the dorsal sides of the fingers and
upon the third phalange portion of the finger extremity of the back
piece 11. The weights more or less fill the pockets and are
inserted well ahead of the reinforcing rope stitch 21. The gloves
are then pulled onto the hand of the person and stretched
comfortably tight, whereupon the weights are captured forwardly of
the rope stitch 21 and tightly within the confinements of the
pockets 20 which too are stretched over the weights. The thickened
flesh at the quick of the fingernail builds up toward the first
knuckle and faces forwardly, this flesh being higher than the
contour of the fingernail, establishing a shoulder that is inclined
and inherently urges the weights forwardly toward the finger
tips.
From the foregoing it will be seen that a very practical glove is
provided and wherein simple pockets of supple material give way to
the variations in size of weights that are to be selectively
inserted therein; that the weights are easily insertable when the
gloves are removed from the hands; and that the weights are
immovably retained in working condition over the dorsal side of the
finger when the gloves are worn. The facility of manufacture is in
accord with techniques normally employed in the making of gloves,
and there are no encumbering features to adversely affect the
normal feel of the keys through the single layer of material at the
anterior side of the finger tips.
Having described only a typical preferred form and application of
my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the
specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself
any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in
the art.
* * * * *