Protective glove

Abstract

A protective glove intended for use by law enforcement officers and the like having in its preferred embodiment a thumbless hand-shaped leather outer glove side, a similarly hand-shaped leather inner glove side having a thumb, the two glove sides being sewn together along their aligned edges (using a joinder strip in the finger areas) to form a hollow leather glove shell. A protective insert sandwich comprising an outer layer of lead-filled vinyl, two intermediate layers of metal wire mesh and two inner layers of foam cushion is positioned next to the outer glove side. A hollow inner lining of smooth fabric is inserted into the hollow leather glove shell between the two foam cushion layers and the inner glove side. The resulting glove provides considerable protection against heavy blows, sharp objects and other instruments which would normally damage the wearer's hand and fingers. The glove also has considerable weight which enables the wearer to strike an assailant with an effective blow.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past, there have been many developments in the field of protective clothing for military and law enforcement personnel. Specifically, armored garments have gained widespread acceptance. Some portions of the body are easier to protect than others. Those body portions which are not involved in much movement (e.g. the torso) are suited to being protected with relatively heavy and inflexible armored garments. On the other hand, those body portions which are involved in substantial movement (e.g. the arms and legs) require considerably lighter and more flexible armored garments. The heavier the protective garment, the greater its protective capability, and the more it hinders the mobility of the wearer. Obviously, the design of any protective garment involves a compromise between levels of protection and mobility.

This invention relates to a protective glove which is specifically designed for use by police officers involved in riot control activities. Prior protective gloves have included layers of fabric and/or metal padding which are usually sewn between the outer and inner shells of the glove. These gloves have typically been bulky, heavy, stiff and awkward to use, with the result that they seldom were used. Also, despite their weight, most of these gloves provided inadequate protection against sharp objects such as knives or ice picks. Examples of such prior gloves are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,657,391; 2,737,597; 2,864,091; 3,108,285; and 3,258,782.

It is an object of this invention to provide a protective glove which has both offensive and defensive capabilities. By offensive, it is meant a glove which has sufficient weight in a suitable location to permit the wearer to strike his assailant with a heavy blow. By defensive, it is meant a glove which has sufficient armor in suitable locations to protect the wearer from injury from a wide variety of sharp and heavy weapons.

It is another object of this invention to provide a protective glove which is comfortable to wear, which is relatively flexible, which is relatively light-weight, which is similar in outward appearance to a conventional glove, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which will retain its shape after extended use, and which, if cut by a sharp knife, will not fall apart or permit its armored portions to become detached from the rest of the glove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The protective glove of this invention has a protective armored insert which protects the entire outer or back portion of the hand as well as the backs of the fingers. The glove is quite flexible and has the general appearance of a conventional glove. The weight of the protective insert is evenly distributed across the back portion of the hand and is fixed in that even distribution. The glove has a hollow outer shell and a hollow inner lining in the manner of a conventional glove. A protective insert is encapsulated between the two hollow elements so as to protect the outer portions of the hand and fingers. The protective insert includes a metal-filled plastic layer, two wire mesh layers and two foam cushion layers. These layers are loosely held together and several layers are sewn to the outer glove side at the cuff. Therefore, the protective insert has considerable freedom to slide relative to the outer glove shell when the wearer's hand is made into a fist. This feature greatly increases the glove's flexibility.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the protective glove of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the various layers forming the protective glove of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows the complete glove 10 which, in all outward respects, closely resembles a conventional glove. Glove 10 can be made in various lengths extending to the wrist or extending as much as eight inches above the wrist.

Glove 10 has a thumb-less hand-shaped outer glove side 12 and a correspondingly shaped inner glove side 14. Both glove sides are preferably made of leather or other animal hide, but can also be made of other natural or synthetic materials. The inner glove side 14 is sewn to a thumb 15 and the fingers of the two glove sides are sewn to a joinder strip 16 in the conventional square or box finger construction with all sewn seams hidden by assembling and stitching the glove inside out and then turning the glove outside in to conceal and protect the threads during use. The box finger construction is preferred because it provides excellent finger flexibility and also provides considerable space for the encapsulating of the protective armored insert next to the flat outer glove side 12. An elastic strip is sewn to the inner surface of inner glove side 14 at the cuff to keep the cuff snug. FIG. 1 shows the completed sewn hollow leather outer glove shell.

It will be understood that other glove constructions could be used. For example, the joinder strip 16 could be extended around the entire glove. Also, the outer glove shell could be made of synthetic material and molded in one piece. The important point is that a hollow outer glove shell is required.

A hollow inner lining 18, which is shaped like the hollow outer glove shell, but which is slightly smaller than the outer shell, is inserted into the outer hollow outer glove shell and is affixed thereto by a stitched hem 20. FIG. 2 shows the inner portion of the lining (and its sewn thumb) which is positioned against the inner glove side 14, and also shows the outer portion of the lining which is positioned against the protective insert. When assembled, the inner and outer portions of the inner lining 18 are sewn together around their aligned peripheries (with the addition of a joinder strip and a thumb), or the lining could alternatively be a single piece.

Preferably, inner lining 18 is made of a sueded nylon fabric which is pleasant to touch and which permits ease of hand insertion and removal. Obviously, other fabrics could be substituted.

What has thus far been described is a conventional glove having an outer shell and an inner lining affixed thereto. What will hereafter be described is the protective armored insert which changes the character of the glove to one which has offensive and defensive capabilities.

The protective insert comprises a number of layers including at least three different types of material which serve three different purposes. FIG. 2 shows the preferred embodiment of the protective insert which includes five material layers.

The layer which is positioned directly against outer glove side 12 is a metal-containing plastic material layer 22. Layer 22 is shaped like a thumb-less hand and extends approximately eleven inches from the fingertip portion of the outer glove shell up to the cuff portion of the shell. Therefore, layer 22 protects the entire back of the fingers and the hand. Layer 22 is flat, relatively flexible and has a solid sheet form. Preferably, layer 22 is a lead particle-filled vinyl plastisol elastomer which has even heavy weight distribution, great structural and tensile strength, high density, great tear strength, and great resilience.

Layer 22 spreads, absorbs and protects against impacts and shocking blows by yielding, absorbing, and then elastically returning to its original shape. It is also very tough and resists penetration by sharp objects. When the metal particles used are lead, the glove has the added feature of not transmitting ionizing radiation to the wearer's hand. This could be useful in the event a suspect were being inspected in an X-ray apparatus. Also, of course, lead is a very heavy metal and has considerable shocking power when the glove is used as an offensive weapon.

Positioned next to the metal-filled plastic layer 22 is the top layer 24 of metal wire mesh material. This wire mesh layer is generally rectangular and is approximately six inches long. Layer 24 extends from the upper finger portion of the glove up to the cuff portion. Therefore, it protects the back of the hand against the penetration and/or cutting action of a knife or other sharp instrument. It also has a cushioning effect. Layer 24 is flat, and is quite flexible along its longitudinal axis. Preferably, layer 24 is a knitted, stainless steel wire mesh which has high strength and has high resistance to cutting or tearing.

Positioned next to top wire mesh layer 24 is an essentially identical bottom layer 26 of metal wire mesh material. Preferably, the two wire mesh layers are formed from a cylinder which is flattened into a rectangular two layered sandwich. FIG. 2 shows this flattened cylinder, and top layer 24 is broken away in the drawing to better illustrate the underlying bottom layer 26.

Positioned next to the bottom metal wire mesh layer 26 is the top cushioning material layer 28. This cushioning layer, like the wire mesh layers, is rectangular. Top cushioning layer 28 is approximately seven inches long and extends from the upper finger portion of the glove to the cuff portion slightly beyond the wire mesh layers. Therefore, cushioning layer 28 cushions the back of the hand against shocking blows and also is designed to cushion and to withstand the abrasive nature of the wire mesh material against which it bears.

Top cushioning material layer 28 is flat, flexible, and has a sheet form. Preferably, layer 28 is composed of a number of thin sheets of semi-rigid ethyl cellulose closed cell foam which are adhered together and which strongly resists compression collapse.

Positioned next to the top cushioning layer 28 is the bottom cushioning material layer 30. This cushioning layer is similar to top cushioning layer 28 except that it preferably extends approximately eleven inches from the fingertip portion of the outer glove shell up to the cuff portion.

The inner lining 18 is fastened at its fingertips to both bottom cushioning layer 30 and the metal-filled plastic material layer 22. This helps to prevent the inner lining from being pulled out of the glove shell when the wearer's hand is removed from the glove. The plastic material layer 22, the two cushioning layers 28 and 30 and the outer (i.e. upper) portion of inner lining 18 are inserted under the turned back hem 20 of outer glove side 12, and all of the foregoing are stitched together along the hem.

The five layers 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 form the preferred embodiment of the protective insert which effectively protects the outside of the fingers and hand of the wearer. These five layers are not all fastened to each other and are stitched to outer glove side 12 only at the cuff which prevents lateral displacement while allowing longitudinal sliding of the protective insert relative to the outer glove side 12. This feature permits the wearer to more easily make a fist or grip an object despite the presence of the protective insert next to the outer glove side.

It will be appreciated that a fully functional protective glove can be fabricated with a protective insert containing three layers 22, 24 and 30. However, the two additional layers 26 and 28 greatly increase effectiveness of the protective glove.

In constructing the preferred embodiment of the glove 10, the first step is to form the outer glove shell by the reverse stitching method described previously. Simultaneously, the inner lining 18 is formed either by the reverse stitching method or by a simple sewing operation.

At the same time, the protective insert is formed and preassembled. The wire mesh cylinder is flattened to form mesh layers 24 and 26. The two cushioning layers 28 and 30 are placed together and are positioned against the bottom wire mesh layer 26. This preassembles four of the five layers.

The lead-filled vinyl layer 22 is formed by first mixing very fine particle size lead powder with semi-viscous vinyl plastisol elastomer. After achieving a thorough mixture, the liquid is cast to shape in a heated mold, or is cast into sheet form in a heated mold, or calendered, and is then die cut to shape. The heating produces a rubber-like elastomeric solid product. After cooling, the lead-filled vinyl layer 22 is positioned next to the top wire mesh layer 24.

The next step is to attach together the aligned fingertips of the inner lining 18, the bottom cushioning layer 30 and, optionally, the lead-filled vinyl layer 22. Then, the assembler places his hand into inner lining 18 and inserts the inner lining and the five layer protective insert into the hollow outer glove shell so that the protective insert is located between the inner lining and the outer glove side 12.

Finally, the cuff edges of the hollow outer shell are folded back over the edges of the hollow inner lining 18, the cushioning layers 28 and 30, and vinyl layer 22, to form a hem 20 which is stitched around the cuff portion. This stitching fastens these layers to the cuff and also encapsulates the wire mesh layers 24 and 26 between the upper finger portion of the hollow outer glove shell and the cuff portion thereof. The glove is thus completely assembled.

It will now be seen that the preferred embodiment has many advantages over prior art gloves. It protects the entire backs of the fingers as well as the back of the hand, while still providing the wearer with great flexibility of hand and finger movement. This is a considerable achievement. Also, the glove is quite conventional in appearance because of the flatness of the protective insert. It has a desired heavy weight, but the weight is so evenly distributed that it is not burdensome to the wearer.

The glove provides significant protection against heavy blows, against pointed sharp instruments, against knives, against hot or cold objects, and against ionizing radiation. The protective insert is very dense and is not displaceable within the glove despite the occurrence of repeated heavy blows. Even if the outer glove side is cut, the protective insert will not likely become detached and cannot disintegrate.

The glove has excellent balance and feel, is extremely durable, and can be manufactured relatively easily at a relatively low cost. The lead-filled vinyl layer 22 is particularly important because it provides the offensive capability as well as the defensive capability to the wearer. It also protects the wearer's fingers (because of its intricate shape) as well as his hand, yet does not impede the mobility of the wearer's hand and finger movement. The glove is highly resistant to virtually all types of hand weapon attacks and is capable of being used offensively with great effect. It is a superior protective glove to all prior gloves known to the inventor.

The above description obviously suggests many possible variations and modifications of this invention which would not depart from its spirit and scope. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of structure specifically described or illustrated and that within the scope of the appended claims, it may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described or illustrated.

Claims

I claim:

1. A protective glove comprising:

a. a hand-shaped hollow outer glove shell having finger portions and a thumb portion;

b. a flat, relatively flexible, solid layer of metal-containing material inserted into said hollow outer glove shell, said metal-containing material extending from adjacent to the cuff portion of said outer glove shell to the fingertip portion of said outer glove shell;

c. at least one flat, flexible layer of metal wire mesh material inserted into said hollow outer glove shell, said wire mesh material extending from adjacent to the cuff portion of said outer glove shell to at least the upper finger portion of said outer glove shell;

d. at least one flat, flexible, resilient layer of cushioning material inserted into said hollow outer glove shell, said cushioning material extending from adjacent to the cuff portion of said outer glove shell to at least the upper finger portion of said outer glove shell; and

e. a correspondingly hand-shaped hollow inner lining inserted into said hollow outer glove shell, said inner lining extending from adjacent to the cuff portion of said outer glove shell to the fingertip portion of said outer glove shell, said inner lining and said at least one layer of cushioning material and said metal-containing material layer all being fastened to said hollow outer glove shell only at the cuff portion thereof, said inner lining being positioned between the palm side of said outer glove shell and said layer of cushioning material.

2. The protective glove of claim 1 wherein said metal-containing material is a synthetic elastomer.

3. The protective glove of claim 2 wherein said elastomer contains uniformly distributed lead particles.

4. The protective glove of claim 2 wherein said metal-containing material is vinyl.

5. The protective glove of claim 1 where said layer of metal-containing material is positioned against the back side of said outer glove shell, said layer of wire mesh is positioned against said layer of metal-containing material, said layer of cushioning material is positioned against said layer of wire mesh, and said inner lining is positioned against said layer of cushioning material.

6. The protective glove of claim 1 wherein said at least one layer of wire mesh comprises two such layers, and wherein said at least one layer of cushioning material comprises two such layers, said wire mesh layers being positioned adjacent to each other and said cushioning material layers being positioned adjacent to each other.

7. The protective glove of claim 6 wherein said two layers of wire mesh material comprise a single flattened cylinder of wire mesh material.

8. The protective glove of claim 6 wherein said layer of metal-containing material is positioned against the back side of said outer glove shell, said top layer of wire mesh is positioned against said layer of metal-containing material, said bottom layer of wire mesh is positioned against said top layer of wire mesh, said top layer of cushioning material is positioned against said bottom layer of cushioning material, said bottom layer of cushioning material is positioned against said top layer of cushioning material, and said inner lining is positioned against said bottom layer of cushioning material.

9. The protective glove of claim 8 wherein said bottom layer of cushioning material extends from adjacent to the cuff portion of said outer glove shell to the fingertip portion of said outer glove shell.

10. The protective glove of claim 9 wherein said inner lining, said layer of metal-containing material and said bottom layer of cushioning material are held together at their aligned fingertip portions.

11. The protective glove of claim 1 wherein said at least one layer of wire mesh is encapsulated between and is entirely unfastened to said metal-containing layer and said at least one cushioning layer.