U.S. patent number 3,871,029 [Application Number 05/494,502] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-18 for bowling glove.
Invention is credited to George A. Hollman.
United States Patent |
3,871,029 |
Hollman |
March 18, 1975 |
BOWLING GLOVE
Abstract
The glove is primarily designed for a bowler, athlete or worker
where it is required that the hand and wrist remain straight or in
line without the wrist being permitted to bend. The glove is open
at its ends to permit it to be inserted over the fingers and hand
and includes a generally rectangular elongated relatively stiff pad
engageable with the back side of the hand and wrist to keep the
wrist from bending. An elastic band at one longitudinal edge is
secured to one longitudinal edge of the pad and has the front
portion at the other longitudinal edge thereof secured to the pad.
The rear portion of the elastic band is provided with a strap
having means for removably securing the band over the hand and
wrist to the pad. The portion of the elastic band along the other
longitudinal edge between the aforesaid front and rear portions
define with the pad an opening therethrough which the thumb of the
hand extends when the glove is applied to the hand and wrist.
Inventors: |
Hollman; George A. (Detroit,
MI) |
Family
ID: |
23964745 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/494,502 |
Filed: |
August 5, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/161.1; 473/62;
2/917 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63D
5/00 (20130101); Y10S 2/917 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63D
5/00 (20060101); A63b 071/14 (); A41d 019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/16,159,161A
;273/54B |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Larkin; Geo. V.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cullen, Settle, Sloman &
Cantor
Claims
What I claim as my invention is:
1. A glove open at its ends to permit it to be inserted over the
fingers and hand of a bowler or the like and adapted to extend
along the hand and wrist for preventing the wrist from bending
comprising a generally rectangular elongated relatively stiff pad
engageable with the back side of the hand and wrist to keep the
wrist and hand straight and an elastic band secured at one
longitudinal edge thereof to one longitudinal edge of said pad,
said pad including a pair of layers of sheet material having
interposed therebetween a relatively flat stiffening element, the
mating edges of said layers being secured together to enclose said
stiffening element, the front portion of said band along the other
longitudinal edge thereof being secured to said pad, the rear
portion of said band having means for removably securing the band
over the hand and wrist to said pad, the portion of said pad along
said other longitudinal edge between said front and rear portions
defining with said pad an opening through which the thumb of the
hand extends when the glove is applied to the hand and wrist.
2. The glove according to claim 1 wherein said means include a
strap having a portion of the surface thereof armed with first
interlocking loop and hook fabric material, the top side of said
pad also being armed with second interlocking loop and hook fabric
material, said first fabric material on said strap being engageable
with said second fabric material.
3. The glove according to claim 2 wherein said elastic band is made
from a porous material which stretches in several directions to
conform to the shape of the hand.
4. The glove according to claim 2 wherein said flat stiffening
element is made from polyethylene, said layers of sheet material
being formed from vinyl plastic material, a soft and yieldable
cushion interposed between said stiffening element and the layer
adjacent the hand and wrist, said elastic band being made from a
porous material which stretches in several directions in order to
conform to the shape of the hand.
5. The glove according to claim 4 wherein said mating edges of said
layers are secured together by stitching.
6. The glove according to claim 1 wherein said flat stiffening
element is formed of plastic material.
7. The glove according to claim 6 wherein said layers of sheet
material are formed of vinyl plastic material.
8. The glove according to claim 1 wherein said pad includes a
yieldable cushion between said stiffening element and the layer
adjacent the hand and wrist.
9. The glove according to claim 5 wherein said yieldable cushion is
formed of sponge rubber material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The glove is primarily designed for use by bowlers or other
athletes where it is required to maintain the hand and wrist
straight. The glove can be utilized by beginning bowlers in order
to teach them correct techniques on how the wrist must remain
straight for effective bowling. The glove forms a restriction on
the hand and wrist and keeps the wrist straight at all times.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of athletic gloves have been utilized heretofore.
However, none of them have been provided with a rigid stiffening
element and with an elastic band having a strap armed with
interlocking loop and hook fabric material which is adapted to
engage corresponding material provided on the pad in order to
maintain the glove on the hand and wrist, with the elastic band
conforming to the shape of the hand and wrist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A feature of the invention is providing a glove which is open at
its ends to permit it to be inserted over the fingers and hand of a
bowler or the like and is adapted to extend along the hand and
wrist for preventing the wrist from bending. The glove includes a
generally rectangular elongated relatively stiff pad engageable
with the back side of the hand and wrist to keep the wrist and hand
straight and an elastic band secured at one longitudinal edge
thereof to one longitudinal edge of the pad.
A further feature of the invention is in providing a pad which
includes a pair of layers of sheet material having interposed
therebetween a relatively flat stiffening element, with the mating
edges of the layers being secured together to enclose the
stiffening element. The front portion of the elastic band along the
other longitudinal edge thereof is secured to the pad. The rear
portion of the band is provided with means for removably securing
the band over the hand and wrist to the pad. With such a
construction the portion of the pad along the other longitudinal
edge between the front and rear portions define with the pad an
opening through which the thumb of the hand extends when the glove
is applied to the hand and wrist.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a glove
including a strap attached to the free edge of the elastic band
with the strap having a portion of the surface thereof armed with
first interlocking loop and hook fabric material. The top side of
the pad also is armed with second interlocking loop and hook fabric
material. With such a construction the first fabric material on the
strap is engageable with the second fabric material to secure the
glove on the hand.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a
glove wherein the flat stiffening element is formed of plastic
material.
A further feature of the present invention is to provide a glove
wherein the layers of sheet material are formed of Vinyl plastic
material.
A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a
glove wherein the pad includes a yieldable or soft cushion between
said stiffening element and the layer adjacent the hand and
wrist.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a glove
wherein the elastic band is made from a porous fabric material
which stretches in several directions to conform the elastic band
to the shape of the hand and wrist.
IN THE DRAWING:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the glove applied to the hand;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the glove;
FIG. 3 is a back view of the glove.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of
FIG. 2; and
FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the glove and strap
taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 2 and showing the interlocking loop
and hook fabric material means.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The glove 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 applied to the hand H. The
glove 10 is elongated and is adapted to snugly fit the hand and
wrist as illustrated. The glove 10 includes an elongated and
relatively stiff pad 12 which overlies and engages the back side of
the hand and wrist and an elastic fabric type band 14 having a
strap 16 thereon, with the fabric band 14 engaging the front side
of the hand and wrist and conforming to the shape thereof as shown
in FIG. 1.
The relatively rigid pad 12 is of rectangular configuration and
comprises front and back layers 18 nd 20 respectively of sheet
material such as "Vinyl". The layers 18 and 20 may be made from one
piece as illustrated and folded at 22 as shown in FIG. 4 to form a
pair of layers or may be made from two separate pieces which are
superimposed together and secured throughout the entire periphery
thereof. The layers 18 and 20 are spaced apart (FIG. 4) and located
within the space 21 is a relatively rigid stiffening element 22
made, as an example, from a plastic material such as polyethylene
and a soft and yieldable cushion 24 made, as an example, from
sponge rubber or other yieldable material. The soft cushion 24
abuts the front layer 18 which in use is against the hand and
wrist.
The stiffening element 22 and cushion 24 are each elongated and of
generally rectangular configuration and are placed between the
layers 18 and 20 after which time the layers are stitched at 26
along the longitudinal edges and stitched at 28 along the
transverse adjacent edges of the layers noted in FIGS. 2 and 3.
The elastic fabric band 14 has a length slightly less than the pad
12 and may be made from any of the commercially available
stretchable fabric materials on the market such as "Lykra". The
band 14 has a longitudinal edge 30 secured by stitching throughout
its longitudinal extent to one longitudinal edge of the pad 12. The
front portion 32 of the band 14 at the other longitudinal edge of
the elastic band 14 is secured at 34 by stitching to the pad
12.
The rear portion 36 of the band 14 at the other longitudinal edge
of the elastic band is removably secured to the pad 12 by fastening
means to be subsequently described. The elastic band 14 is cut away
at 40 and is not secured to the pad 12. Thus the intermediate
cut-a-way portion 40 of the elastic band 14 forms with the pad 12
an opening 42 through which the thumb extends as illustrated in
FIG. 1. The strap 16 is secured to the elastic band 14 by stitching
as indicated by the numeral 44 in FIGS. 2 and 3.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the strap 16 and a matching portion 46 on the back side
of the pad 12 are provided with strips 48 and 50 formed from fabric
material, such as nylon tape, wherein the fabric surface is covered
with minute hooks and minute loops respectively. When a hook armed
fabric surface is pressed into contact with a loop armed surface,
the respective surfaces lock together and can be peeled apart only
by the exertion of a certain amount of force.
It should be appreciated that the fabric of strip 48 may be hook
armed or loop armed, but that in any event the strip 50 should be
equipped with the opposite armament. In accordance with the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the strip 48 is hook
armed and the strap 50 is loop armed. The loops can be easily
discerned by the fact that they form a pile surface; while the
hooks form a surface that is harsh and unyielding to the touch. A
commercial form of this fabric structure is known as VELCRO. The
strips of fabric 48, 50 are fastened to the strap 16 and pad 12 by
stitching 52 or by other conventional means such as adhesive.
VELCRO (VELCRO S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland) is a velvet type fabric
comprising a structure including a plurality of auxiliary warp
threads of a synthetic resin material in the form of raised pile
threads, the terminal portions of which are at least in part in the
form of material-engaging hooks; U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,437.
The elastic fabric 12 is of two way stretchable material used in
body garments.
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