CA1079451A - Sport glove - Google Patents

Abstract

SPORT GLOVE
Abstract of the Disclosure The disclosure relates to an improved sport glove con-struction comprising loosely but securely connected inner and outer glove shells of different constructions, each contributing sig-nificant and desirable characteristics to the combination. The inner glove is constructed of a highly elastic, stretchable mate-rial, so constituted as to be received tightly over the entire hand of the wearer, snugly enclosing and conforming to the indi-vidual fingers and thumb, as well as the palm and back areas of the hand., The construction of the elastic inner glove shell is such as to provide a secure yet comfortable feel to the glove.
The elastic inner glove is entirely enveloped by a second or outer glove of a material and construction selected to provide appro-priate gripping and other characteristics. The outer glove may be of a somewhat elastic material, such as knitted fabric, but may also be of a relatively nonelastic material, such as leather, vinyl or the like, or may be a combination of materials. The inner and outer-glove shells are attached securely but loosely at se-lected areas, to permit easy donning and doffing of the glove while at the same time accommodating the necessary degree of elas-tic expansion of the inner glove shell relative to the outer shell when the glove is applied to the hand.

Description

BackRround and Summary of the Inventidn Sport gloves of the tyie concerned herein are ut~lized in a widé variety of activities, such as gol~, baseball, tennis, ,~
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10~9451 ;

driving, etc The function o such ~loves is twofold: to improve .
the gri.p of th~ hand to the object, and also to protect the hand o~ thc wearer. Early designs of sport gloves typically ~7ere con-. structed of lea~her or lea~her-like material, l~hich has certain significant disadv.ln~ag~s. ~mong these are that the material may' deteriorate quickl.y under service conditions, which include ex-posure to perspiration of the hand. Additionally, such gloves 'typically are required to be provided in a wide variety of sizes, 'in order to fit t'he wide range of hand sizes with reasonable com- .
'Ifort and effectiveness Il , ;
''i . ' ' ' One of the early efforts'to overcome the disadvantages ~of leather or leather-like sport gloves construction is reflected in the Scherr U.S. patent No. 2,907,046, for example. The glove ' 15 . ' ','of the Scherr patent is of knitted construction, comprising a 'blend of. stretchable and non-stretchable yarns, and is arranged ,to fit snugly on the hand of the wearer. Because of the somewhat ; 'slick or slippery nature of the snug-fitting, stretchable glove, . ; a leather or other appropriate gripping surace is s~cured onto . :~
the palm area of the glove, with individual strips of leather ex-.
tending along the gripping areas of the finger and thum,b stalls. ' .
. ',The objective o the glove con9truction o~ the Scherr patent is .
: .;jto combine the desired gripping qualities of leather or the like with th~ snug-fitting characteristics of a knitted, el~stic glove.
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ll '.' ' A minor ~odification of the glove of the Scherr patent ~ is reflected in the Stanton U.S. patent No. 3,597,765. The glove of the Si~,anion patent coi.nprises a stretchable, elastic glove, pro-.
vided, in the same manner as the Scherr patent, with sewed-on leather surfacing in the gripping areas. In the Stanton patent, . '' i

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( 10794Sl ~ r~ ar~ individual stril~s of facing material ~hich extend along the fingcr and thumb sections and on down into the palm area of the glove, so that the pal~ area is provided with friction sur-facing in s~rip form, rather than covering the en~ire palm area as in the Scherr patent.

Although the glove of the Scherr patent l~o. 2,907,046 represented an improvement over previous constructions, both it and the modification thereof re:Elected by the Stanton patent have I
.certain limitations sought to be avoided by the ~resent invention.l For example, the surfacing material is effectively limited to - small strip-like areas, in order to realize the elastic character-.' .istics of the basic glove construction. This introduces important~
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limitations from the standpoint of styling and appearance and. I
also can reduce or limit overall gripping effectiveness. Addi-tionally, the stretchable, elastic glove has limited warming characteristics, reducing its ~esirability for some fall and winter.
sports.
,' . In accordance with the present invention, a novel and - improved form o~ spo.rt glove is provided, which utilizes the de-sirable features of a stretchable, elastic glove, as reflected in ~he Scherr patent, for ~xample,.yet which at the same ti~e has .
improved functional and styling characteristics~ .To this end, I
2S .. the sport glove of the present invention incorpora~es. inner and .
outer complete glove shells, each of different but complementary characteristics. The inner glove is.constructed of a stretchable, elastic k-nitted material~ while the ou1:er shell is constructed of a mateirial or combination of materials having the desired gripping, styling and other characteristics. The two glove shells, _3_ .
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~hile secur~ly conllected~ are arranged ~o accommoda~e a significant degree o inde~endent movement, especially if the outer glove shell is constructed in whole or in part of a rela~ively inelastic material.
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Pursuant ~o the invention, the materials and the con-structions of the inner glove shell are chosen to provide a snug joverall fit, so that the hand of the wearer is rather tightly-;confined yet not constricted against required movements. In this : 10 .~respect, sufficient contraction of the inner glove shell about the .,hand, fingers and thumb to provide a slight "tingly" sensation in ; . ,the hand has been found to be popular. Ihe tightness sho~ld not, .~ . ,jof course, ~e such as to impair good circulation.
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lS 'i In the glove of the invention, the outer glove shell is ... .,selected without sign~ficant regard for snugness of fit around the hand, and almost exclus;vely with regard to independent char-'.acteristics, such as gripping capability, appearance, warmth (in the case of .sport gloves intended for winter sports), or the like.
- 20 ~ . The outer glove shell may be of a stretchabie construction ~e.g., a knitted fabric), but in such cases the stretchability o~ the outer glove shell is not relied upon significantly to achieve the ~desired tight.con~ormity and snugness of tl1e overall glove of the , wearer's hand. The function of snugness is derived substantially . 25 ',~if not exclusively from th inner glove shell and, insofar as the I
.' outer glove may contribute snugness by its stretchabilit~, this `
. . iS a secondary consideration. Indeed, in some o the constructions o the ne~ spor~s glo~e, the outer glove shell will be formed of ; , ~ .
.. materials, such as leather or vinyl, which are clearly of a .~30 non-stretchable and nonelastic nature. In other advantageous ' ' .

10794Sl constructions of the new glove, ~he outer shell may be formed of combinations of different materials, to achieve a combination of optimum functions. For example, the outer glove may have a body formed of a kni~ted material, for warmth and attractiveness, in conjunction with materials such as surfacing of leather or vinyl in selected areas, for improved gripping.
In accordance with a significant feature of the invention, a dual-shell sport glove is provided which comprises a tight-confirming, elastic, stretchable inner shell and a somewhat looser fitting, friction-gripping outer shell, wherein the inner and outer shells are secured together in limited areas, sufficient to maintain the unitary integrity of the dual-shell construction, while at the same time accommodating such relative expansion and contraction and relative movement as is necessary in the normal utilization of the glove. To advantage, the inner and outer glove shells are secured at least at the tips of the thumb and finger stalls and along at least a portion of the cuff area. In some cases, attachment may also be made at the quirks of the finger stalls and also along one side area. In those cases where the 20 outer glove shell has limited stretch characteristics, the areas ~f attachment between the inner and outer shells are correspond-ingly limited, to accommodate greater relative distension of the inner glove shell when the dual glove i9 applied to the hand.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the outer glove shell may be formed of a combination of materials, to achieve desired styling, gripping and other characteristics.
By way of example, the outer glove shell may be formed of a stylish and attractive knitted material, such as orlon (a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.) which, ;, `' L~

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10794Sl by itsel, 1m-~y hav~ less ~han wholl~ adequate gripping c~aracter-istics. In such cas~s, s~rips or other forms of surfacing mat~rial may be applied to appropri~t~ areas of the outer glove shell to enhance the gripping action. Inasmuch as the out~r glove shell is not r~liecl ~Ipon for its stretch characteristicsJ a wide lati-tude is possible in~the form, location and c~aracter of grip-en-hancing materials.
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ll ~'or a better understanding of the above and other fea-- 1lture~ and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, ~and to the accompanying drawin~.

- ~Descri~tion o the Drawin~ - i 15 i Fig. 1 is a perspective view o one orm of a dual-shell¦
!I sport ~love constructed in accordance with the principles of the 33invention.
, ' ' ,.'1 ':.'''' ' -' ' . . i j Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the principal 20 . - ;piane o the glove of Fig. l, illustrating details of its con-!;struction and of the attachment o the inner and outer glove shells.
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3' ~ Fig. 3 is an elevational view, looking at the open end -, of the glo~e o Fig. l. , 25 ~ : -- .! Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the new dual-shell sport glove, in which the outer glove shell is formed of a combination o~ materials.

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, Fig. S is a plan view of the back of the glove o Fig.4.j !! ;

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107945:1 Fig. ~ is a longitudinal cross sectional view as taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 i5 a cross sectional view as taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Description of Preferred Embodiments Referring now to the drawing, the new sport glove is shown to comprise separate inner and outer glove shells 10, 11 respectively. The individual glove shells are securely attached one to the other, as will be more fully described, while providing for a substantial degree of independent movement of one with re-spect to the other.

Pursuant to the invention, the inner glove shell 10 is formed of a highly elastic, stretchable material. Among those materials suitable for the purpose is a knitted tricot material comprised of a blend of nylon and spandex (a trade mark) yarns.
Such materials are widely used and readily available from ,. .
standard mill sources at attractive prices. A commonly used -` nylon-spandex blend may be on the order of 20% spandex yarns, 80~ nylon yarns. 40 denier yarns are suitable for the purposes of the present invention. It will be understood, of course, that neither the specific yarns nor the specific material is deemed ;
critical to the invention. However, the specified characteristics of eIasticity, stretchability and the like are representative of .
~ the characteristics generally desired for the inner shell 10.
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Because of the rather substantial stretchability of the inner glove shell 10, one, or at least a few, basic inner shell ; _ 7 _ .~ .

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; 1075~451 sizes cln accolnmodat~ ~hc normal s~ectrum of hand sizes.

~ l~hou~h ~l~e speciJic construction of the inner glove shell 10 is llOt sign:ificant to ~he invention, the shell t~pically m~ly be~ EOLI11ed bY ~irsl cu~ting a double panel section, comprising .
the entire glove exclusive of the thumb stall. That section is he~med along the cuff and along the confronting edges. A separate th~mb stall, cut separately, is secured to the body o~ the glove along the seam 14.
` lo d -- .~ ~ Sizing of the inner glove shell 10 is largely a functioni . ~lof merchandisin~ apProach and o~ the character of the outer gîove .
- J shell 11, as will more fully.appear. Thus, in places where a .
.relatively few sizes of inner shells are to be provided for the .
1~ . entire spectrun of hand sizes, a reasonable amount OL stretch may l . 1be pro~;ided for ln both length and width directions; However, in j cases where a larger variety of si2es of inner shells are to be - 'utilized, a lesser degree of stretch may be provided, particularly' ; . in the length direction. In either case, the amount of stretch 2a to be provided is a function of comort to the wearer. Xt is ~ popular to provide a suficiently snug fit to achieve a slight ¦
"tingle" in the hand and fingers, while at the same time neither li - unduly restrictîng blood circulation or inhibiting ree use of . i the hand.
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.. ' Pursuant to the invention, rather than securing a sur- !
facing material to the palm and finger area of the elast;c shell ; ~ 10, the glove of the invention incorporates a full outer glove . shell 11, which completely encloses and totally conceals the inner.` 30 shell 10. The outer glove shell 11 may be formed of a wicle ~ 8~
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variety o~ m~lter:ia]s or conlbinations oE materials, but should exhib:i~ the des:ired wear and ~ric~ional ~ripping characteristics sough~ for in a sport glove. Among the materials sui~able for ~he purpose are, of course, ].eather and vin~l. In addition, a number: ~ kni~ecl fabrics are available ~7hich exhibit e.ffective gripping characteristics, particularly if combined with other .materials as hereinafter described. A~ong these are fabrics con- ' .structed of wool, acrylic, cotton or nylon. Within the contem-` ~plation of the present invention, practically any material, ,l~stretchab:le or non-stre~chable, that has an acceptable exterior ',glove surface for the purpose intended can be utilized as the . ''ou~e~ shell.

. ,¦ Where the outer glove shell 11 is of knitted constru 15 ~tion it may, of course, be of a size and shape to provide for some degree of expansion when applied to the hand of the wearer. How-. .ever, this is not a necessary or principal characteristic of the 'outer glove shell ll and., indeed, is not intended as a substitute for thé tight fitting9 contractile characteristic of the elastic ~ 20- inner glove shell 10. Thus, with a ty~cal loose-knit construc-tion, the.outer glove shell ll will easily expand to receive the and of the wearer, without any significant degree of resistance . 'ior without any particular feeling of tightness ~r snugness about ithe hand of the wearer. 0~ course, where the outer glove shell .
2S ,ll is constructed o a material such as leather or vinyl, which - ` is essentially nonelastic in character, the outer glove shell is properly sîzed in the first instance to receive a given size of hand. Whether the outer shell is of a knitted, and therefore . somewhat stretchable, character or o~ a relatively non-stretchable ~ 30 material such as vinyl or leather, the outer glove shell will be ~, .
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proportioned to a "normal" size, taking into considera~ion the presence internally of the elastic inner glove shell 10.

Pursuant to the invention, the inn~r and outer glove sllells lO, 11 are connected toge~her at limited areas, sufficient ; to assure that the inner shell 10 remains properly oriented and . disposed within the outer shell, but at the same time accommodating substantial relative elastic movement and adjustment o the inner ,1shell relative to the outer sheli. In the orm of the invention. I
:~illustrated in Figs. 1-3, the inner and outer shells are attached ¦-to each other specifically at the tips 15 of the fingers and thumbJ
,'and also at the qu~rk or croteh areas 16 between fingers. The . .lspecific nature of the attachment is not significant to the in- .
- , ~ention, although it should be generally unobtrusi~e, but suffi-~15 llciently secure to permit insertion o the fingers into and removal .from the finger stalls 17 and .thumb stalls 78 of the elastic innerl.
Ilshell lO, while retaining the integrity o~ the limited attachment points. The dual-shell glove assembly of Figs. 1-3 also provides ' ~ or attachment of the shells at a plurality of points 19 along ...2~0 ~ . jone side of the glove, most advantageously along the little ingerj ~lside as reflected in Fig. 2, and also along a portion of the cuf~,;
.as Lndicated at 20.
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~2 1 In general, the manner of attachment of the inner and ¦
S.~ ~ ou~er glove shells 10, ll is such as to assure the retention of ¦
~, , the separate shells in a preassembled relationship at the ingers i ; and at the cuff. Accordingly, during donning and dofing of the ¦
glove, ~h~ wearer need not treat the dual-shell assembly as being I
comprised o~ two separate and somewhat independent shells, but can ~10 manage the glove largely as if it were a more conventional lined . .
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glove. Ilowever, and as a signifi.caIIt aspect of the invention, the constrllction of the glove di~fers significantly from a conventional lined glove i.n tha~ a substc~ntial independen~ elastic expansion and contraction of the inner sh~ll is provided, a~ least in the tra~lsv~r:s~ or circumferential direction. As re~lected in Fig. 3, for e~ample, the respective shells 10, 11 may be secured together ' ,.in the cuff areas around less than the entire circumference of the, ,~'cuff and/or are rather loosely "tacked" together, so ~ha~ the elastic inner shell 10 can undexgo significant circumferential ex-,',pansion independently.of the outer shell. In some cases, where the outer shell 11 is o kni.tted construction and has a substantia~
i 5tretchability in its o~ right the outer s~ell may ~e p-rmitted . ,' to expand and contract in the cuff area along with the elastic . ¦inner shell. However, where the outer shell 11 is of a relatively¦
. 15 `llnon-stretchable material such as leather or vinyl, the shells should be secured together at more widely spaced points, and/or . 'Jover only a fraction of the circumference, to accommodate dier- , ',ential contracting and expanding movements. By appropriately . jspacing the points of attachment between the elastic inner shell 20- . i 10 and a relatively non-stretchable outer shell 11, ~he material '- '~of the outer shell may be arranged and caused to gather in '¦accordion fashion while the inner shell 10 contracts elastically~ j ,, I . .
j! ` , .2S 'I : In the form o the invention shown.in Figs. 4--7, the .` 'j outer shell of the dual-shell sport glove is of a composite con-struction in oxder to achieve a combination of optimum character-::i "
istics~ ,The contractile inner glove she'Ll 30 is formed of a material and has the structuraL characteristics as described in 0 ', connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1-3. In the second-illus-; ~ .
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tratcd lllodificatioll oE the ;nvcntion, thc inn~r glov~ shcll 30 is , secured to the ou~er shell 31 a~ the tips 32 oE thc fingcr and thumb stalls and aroun~ the cuE~ 33 of the inner shell.

Lll ~he embo~ ent of Figs~ 4-7, ~he outer glove shell 31 is formed of a combination oE ma~erials and includes a shell body 32 formed of m~terials and of a construction selected primar-l ily for characteristics of'attractive styling, warmth, or the like~
llbut no~ necessarily havîng o~timum gripping characteristics. To jlgreatest advantage9 the shell body 32 is o a knitted construction ' ' ijand thus inherently has a rela~ively high degree of e~pandability- - ¦ and contractability. ~evertheless, it i~ to be understood that ¦Ithe characteristics of the outer shell body 32 are not relied upon¦
I~,primarily to'provide tight-fitting conformity to the hand. The -15 !~contractile inner shell 30 serves that primary purpose. However, I' ~since the outer shell body 32 will have a reasonable degree of ex-¦ ' pansion and contraction capability, it is feasible to secure the- 1 icuf area 33 of the contractile inner shell 30 throughout its ~ull, 'circumference to'the outer shell body 32, as by means of a line 20 ~ of relatively loose stitching 34.
- 'i ' . - . i '1 ' As reflected in Figs. S and 6, the outer shell-body 32 may be formed with a cuff area 35 which extends beyond the cuff 33 oX the' inner shell for both styling and comfort. In the illus-i 2S !!~rated arrangement,'the cuff of the contractile inner shell 30 may~
be located close to the base of the thumb, in the region at which ¦
" the hand narrows sharply to the dimensions o the wrist. The cuff!
.. .;, '' 35 o~ the outer shell body may extend well beyond that point to , . ; ., ' provide a more attractively styled glove, as well as to provide protection of the wrist area. The specifically illustrated form ,i i -12-Ii :j !
10794Sl o~ ~lovc i.s pr.ovided ~ h a cu~ 35 whicll is su~ficien~ly long to have a folded back margin 36 forming a double cuff. Strips 37 of vinyl or lec~tller, ~or exa~ple, may be secured to the cuf~ area for styling purposes.
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Tlle outer shell body 32, being of a constr~lc~ion and of a material selected primarily for optimùm characteristics other . than gripping, is provided with means for grip enhancement in the I !significant areas. To this end, elongated strips 38 of leather, - 10 jlvinyl or other high ~riction material may bP sewn along the ront ¦
¦faces of the finger and.thumb stalls, and additional strips 39 o.- ¦
similar material ~ be sewn to Pxter.d di~gonally along the face f the palm area. In the specific. *orm o~ the inventiorl ill~s- I
~trated in Figs. 4~7, the grip enhancing strips 38, 39 are relative ll ly long and narrow, and the strips 38 extending along the ~aces of the thumb and finger stalls generally terminate at the bases '1.f the stalls. However, particularly since the outer shell body 32 is not relied upon for elastic, contractile function, the par-.., ' ticular form and nature o the grip enhancing areas is not critical 20 ~ ..In other.words, the sought-for characteristics o~ the outer shel~ .
'~body are not significantly interferred with by applicatîon of the ¦
. I grip enhancing elements 38, 39. By way o~ contrast, attac~ment ~¦of such strips diréctly to a contractîle shell, such as the inner ¦
shell 30, would tend to interfere wîth the contractîle properties ¦
~5 l¦o the shell.

;The dual-shell sport glove o the învention represents a si.gni~icant improvement over prior art gloves utilizing snug-Eitting, elastic coverings, in that the glove of the invention provîdes or both împroved appearance and împroved performance '' ;
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' 107g451 ;charac~eris~ics l'hus, ~hereas popular prior art gloves utiliæe a limited area friction sur~acing secured directly on the palm an~
finger surfaces of ~he contractile shell, ~he glove of the present invention permits the use of a totally enclosing exterior glove S shell, ~7hich carl ~e ~oth att:ractive in appearance, superior in a functional sense~ and entirely competitive in ~anufacturing expense with the earlier types o glove.
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,1 Although the inner and outer glove shells of the appli llcant's dual~shell construction are secured together sufficiently to act essentially as a single glove during donning and do~fing, ~the fact that the inner and outer shell~ each are comp~ete ~loves I
enables the securement of one to the other to provide for suffi- ¦
jlcient independence to freely accommodate the necessary relative j expansion and contraction of the highly elastic inner shell. Thus,' I in securing the mner and outer shells at the tips of the finger stalls, and around at least a portion of the cuf~ area, the hand ~,may enter and be released from the glove substantially as -if it ;~ 'were a single, lined glove of conven~ional construction. At tXe 20 ~ same time, the functional characteristies of the inner and outer j,glove shells are designed to be critically different, wit~ the j inner shell providing for significant elastic expansion and con-"traction, but without regard to gripping or other characteristics, ¦iand the outer shell providing desired gripping characteristics, 2S ~ attractive appearance, etc. without regard to the contractile properties of the elastic inner shell. The construction of the 'invention enables an extremely wide vaxiety of materials and de-! s~.gns to pe ~tiLized in the forming of the outer glove shell, including knitted materials, leather, vinyl, etc. ~ere the outer shell material is expandable and contractable, as in the case o~
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~, a knit~ed construc~ion, for example, the outer shell may be more closely attached to the inner shell, so as to expand and contract ther~wl~h, bu~ it is not designed or utilized in a significant way ~or contractile properties.
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, The dual-shell glove of the invention, although by no 'Imeans limited to the use in conjunction with winter sports, has - J an additional advantage for such purpose by reason o~ the two-layer - ~jconstruction. Because of its relatively lightweight construction, -'10 Illand its tight conformity to the hand, the contractile inner shell has limited warmth retaining properties. " Thus, conventionaL
l¦glove~ utilizing strip style fr~ction surfacing, secu,ed directly to an overall shell of elastic, tight-conformin~ material,' provide ~rather limited protection against low temperatures. With the' ¦japplîcant's'construction, on the other hand, the outer shell en-tirely envelopes the contractile inner shell. As a result, sub- ¦
stàntial heat retention properties may be constructed into the -' I glove, not only by taking advantage of its two-layer construction j ' ,~but also by reason-of'the greater freedom in the selection o~
' ; 20- ' materials for the outPr shell. ' ' ~

' ' ' ''I ' The ma~y advantages derived from the applicant's sport h glore construction are realized without significant additional manufacturing expense. In general, the outer glove shell may be 25 '' 'j constructed in accordance wi~h well known and conventional tech-- '~niques, and the assembly thereof with the contractile inner shell , is easily and quickly accomplished, because of the relatively -ttedlnature oE the secur~ment.

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¦ In the ~orm of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3, the ., . , j , 1 ,j ; ~

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j 1 0~ 9 4 51 1' out~r glove ~hell, in addition to its o~her characteristics, has ',appropri.ate gripping characteristics or the purpose intended.
In the modification of Figs. 4-7, hol~vcr, the outer glove shell .is selected to havc primary characteristics other than gripping, ,Ij SUCII as at~ra~tive sty:lin~, warmth, comfort, e~c., and additional 'surfacing materials are provided to enhance the gripping action of the glove as a whole. In either of the illustrated embodi~en~s, . the inner glove shell is utilized for its contracti~e characteris-i . tics, without regard to gripping, and the outer glove shell (in- l ¦ cluding facing strips, if any) serves primarily to provide desired¦
gripping characteristics, without regard to contractile properties.
Even where the outer glove shell is o~ knitted, an~ there~ore of .
: - ... Isomewhat expandable and contractable construction, it is not relied . upon .significantly as a means ~or achieving a tight fit on the : 15 hand, .but is designed and constructed primarily for other proper- ¦
.;. .~ ties. Where the outer glove shell is formed of a combination Of .. ¦materials, even the outer shell body itself may be selected without primary regard to gripping characteristics, and surfacing materials . ;,may be applied for grip enhancement. The application of such ~
.,- 20. . ~ ¦¦surfacing materials, whether in strip form or otherwise, does not ~
tend to compromise the contractile characteristics of the glove, i .~ Il.as. in the prior art patents mentioned hereinabove, because it is secured to the outer shel7 and not to the contractile inner shell.
¦ Accordingly, the glove of the invention combines superior function ¦1 al characteristics with regard to tight, close con~o~ming fit on the hand, with superior gripping capability, and further combines j those superior ~unctional characteristics with the ability to pro-~
.. vide a glove which i$ attractively styled and comfortable to wear.
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` 30 ,1 It should be understood, of course, that the specific "','' ' 11 -1~- ' ' ?

forms o~ the invention herein illus~rated and described are in-tended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the dis-c].osure. Accordi.ngly, reference should be made to the ~ollowing appended claims in ~etermining the full scope of the invention.

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Claims (13)

I Claim:

1. A sport glove or the like, comprising (a) an elastic, contractile inner glove shell for enveloping substantially the entire hand, including the fingers and thumb, (b) said inner glove shell being of knitted construction and being of such materials and of such construction as to accommodate substantial elastic stretch upon insertion of the hand and to fit snugly about the hand, to provide a secure fit for the sport glove, (c) said inner glove shell having relatively limited and inadequate gripping character-istics for typical sport glove use, (d) an outer glove shell surrounding and interfitting with said inner glove shell, (e) said outer glove shell being of a material and construction to provide gripping characteristics suitable for use in sporting activities, (f) the elastic properties of the outer glove shell being of secondary significance in relation to the gripping characteristics thereof and in relation to the contractile elastic characteristics of the inner glove shell, (g) means loosely securing said inner and outer glove shells together at limited areas enabling donning and doffing, of the assembled glove shells as a single glove while simultaneously accommodating substantial elastic expansion and con-traction of the inner glove shell relative to the outer shell, (h) said securing means including means for securing the respective glove shells at the tips and quirks of the thumb and finger stalls and in the cuff area, (i) whereby the inner glove shell and outer glove shell each provide characteristics significant for use in sporting activities in a unitary structure.

2. A sport glove according to claim 1, further characterized by (a) said inner and outer glove shells being secured together substantially only at the tips and quirks of the finger and thumb stalls, along a portion of the cuff, and along one side edge.

3. A sport glove according to claim 1, further characterized by (a) said outer glove shell having stretch characteristics substantially independent of said contractile inner glove shell, and (b) said inner and outer shells being secured to each other in sufficiently limited areas to enable significant elastic ex-pansion of the inner glove shell circum-ferentially about the hand, including the individual fingers and thumb, in the absence of significant elastic circum-ferential expansion of said outer shell.

4. A sport glove according to claim 3, further characterized by (a) said outer glove shell being formed of a relatively non-stretchable material, such as leather, vinyl or the like.

5. A sport glove according to claim 3, further characterized by (a) said outer glove shell being formed of a distendable material, such as knitted fabric, and (b) the resistance to distension of the outer glove shell being rel-atively small in relation to the resistance to distension of the inner glove shell.

6. A sport glove or the like comprising (a) an elastic, contractile inner glove shell formed of a knitted nylon-spandex fabric, (b) said inner glove shell being of an initial contracted size whereby upon insertion of the hand the inner glove shell will expand to provide a snug fit, suitable for use in sporting activities, (c) an outer glove shell completely surround-ing and enveloping said inner shell, (d) said outer glove shell being of a sub-stantially normal size in relation to the inner glove shell, and (e) means securing said inner and outer glove shells at limited points enabling the assembled gloves to be donned and doffed as a unitary structure while accommodating significant expansion of the contractile inner glove shell in relation to the outer glove shell, (f) said outer glove shell being constructed of materials having appropriate gripping characteristics for sport glove utilization.

7. A sport glove according to claim 6, further characterized by (a) said inner and outer shells being secured together primarily at the tips of the finger stalls and around at least a portion of the cuff.

8. A sport glove according to claim 6, further characterized by (a) the contractile inner glove shell being substantially wholly concealed within said outer glove shell.

9. A sport glove according to claim 6, further characterized by (a) said inner glove shell being constructed substantially throughout of one material, and (b) said outer glove shell being constructed substantially throughout of a second material, (c) the one material of the inner glove shell being different from and substantially more elastically contractile than the second material of the outer glove shell.

10. A sport glove according to claim 6, further characterized by (a) said inner glove shell being constructed substantially throughout of one material, and (b) said outer glove shell being constructed primarily of a second material, (c) the one material of the inner glove shell being different from and substantially more elastically contractile than the second material of the outer glove shell.

11. A sport glove according to claim 10, further characterized by (a) said outer glove shell including a shell body of a construction and of a material selected primarily for optimum characteristics other than gripping, and (b) grip-enhancing facing materials being secured to selected areas of said outer glove shell.

12. A sport glove according to claim 11, further characterized by (a) said outer shell being primarily of knitted construction and having secured to said selected areas strips of material having relatively high friction properties characteristic of leather and vinyl.

13. A sport glove according to claim 9, further characterized by (a) said outer glove shell having a cuff portion extending substantially beyond the cuff portion of said inner glove shell.