US1562176A - Baseball mitt - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17 1925- H. B. LATENA BASEBALL MITT Filed May 7; 1924 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 IN VE/V 7'02 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

- UNITED STATES 1,562,176 PATENT" m nu-3.

HARRY B. LATINA, on EAST sr. LOUIS, ILL'INOIs, ssrenon'ro' nAwLInes MAnU- FACTURING COMPANY, on ST. LOUIS, MISSQURI, A conronarron on Ivussonm.

BASEBALL MIT'I.

Application filed May 7,

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. LATINA, a citizen of the United States, residing at East St. Louis, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Baseball Mitts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to baseball mitts of the kind that are used by catchers and first basemen and which consists of a relatively thick pad provided on its back or rear side with a hand portion that comprises pockets for receiving the thumb and fingers of the users hand. 7 v v V In the conventional baseball mitt the hand portion on the rear side of the pad is provided with an adjustable strap that extends transversely of the users wrist so as to retain the mitt in operative position on the users hand. Unless said wrist strap is fairly tight, there is great danger of the mitt dropping off or flying off the users hand accidentally at a time when such an accident might be the deciding factor of a game of baseball, but many baseball playtightly in position, because it prevents the mitt from being thrown off ordropped quicklyin-the event the user desires to have his hand free and unencumered by a mitt. The result is that the majority of baseball I players adjust the wrist strap of the mitt in such a way that the mitt can be intention-. ally dropped quickly, .notwithstanding the fact that the loose adjustment of the wrist strap may result in the mitt dropping ofl' accidentally at a critical point in the game.

The main object of my invention is to provide a baseball mitt which is constructed in such a manner that it will be loose enough on the users hand to permit it to be dropped quickly or thrown off intentionally, but will be combined with the users hand in such a way when the mitt is inv use that there is no danger of its dropping ofl' or being thrown off accidentally.

' To this end I propose to provide the hand portion of a baseball mitt with one or more loops arranged in such a way that the thumb or a finger of the users handw'ill project through same and exert suflicient pressure on said loop or loops to eliminate ers object to having the mitt strapped p 1924. Seria1"No.711,6 11.

the possibility of the mitt dropping off accidentally, .even though the wrist strap is loose. 1

Another object of my, invention is to provide a baseball mitt in which the hand portion of the mitt is constructed in, sucha manner that the 'hand of the user naturally assumes such a position, during theoperation of catching a ball, that the palm of the hand will be held slightly spaced. away from the part of the mittagainst which a caught. ball strikes, thereby 1 reducing the liability of the users palm being bruised or injured when the mitt is used to, stop a'swift ball 3 thrown with considerable force.

F igure 1 of the drawings is a perspective .view of a baseball mitt constructed in ac-' cordance with my invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the front piece ofthe hand portion of the mitt to which the pad is laced.

Figure 3' is a perspective view of the mitt shown in Figure 1, with theback piece of the hand portion broken away to show the thumb loop and some of the finger stops or abutments,v a

1, Figure a is atop plan view ofthe front iece of the hand portion, illustratinghow."

the thumb and finger loops arepermanently connected to same; and v Figure 5 -is a top plan vview,partly broken away, of a mitt constructed in accordance with my invention and equipped with finger stops or abutments of slightly different construction from those used in the mitt, illus5 trated in Figures 1;to 4.

In the drawings A designates a pad that forms the front sideof a baseball mitt and B, designates a piece of leather or other suitable material of the same outline assaid pad to which said pad is secured by a lacing 1 or in any other suitable manner. A 7

hand portion is arranged on the back or rear side of the pad A for receiving the users hand, and While the particular details of constructionof said handportion are :im-f material so far as my invention is concerned, it will i usually comprise a front piece, formed by-the piece B to which the padis laced, a back piece C that-comprises thumb and, fingenportions, which are secured by stitches to thepiece B in such awayas to v form pockets for the thumb and-fingers of the usershand, and an adjustable wrist;

strap D that extends transversely of the users wrist. In order to eliminate the possibility of the mitt dropping off accidentally when the wrist strap D is adjusted loose enough to permit the mitt to be dropped quickly or thrown off intentionally by a quick movement of the users arm, I have .equipped the mitt with a thumb loop E through which the users thumb projects, as shown'in Figure 2, when the mitt is in use. Said loop E is arranged inside of the thumb pocket of the hand portion, and notwithstanding the fact that said loop is large enough to permit the users thumb to slip into and out of same easily, it constitutes a fivery efiicient means for preventing the mitt from dropping off accidentally, due to the fact that a slight contraction or flexing of the users thumb causes said loop to be gripped tightly enough to prevent the thumb from accidentally pulling out of same. In most instances the mitt will be equipped with a similar loop ,F arranged inside of the pocket of the hand portion that receives the little finger of the users hand, so as to obtain a more perfect balance of the mitt on the users hand, but both of (said loops are not absolutely essential, al though it is preferable to construct the mitt in this way.

It is immaterial how the loops E and F are secured inside of the pockets in which they are positioned, but I prefer to make said loops adjustable and form each loop from a strip of leather or other suitable material that is, permanently secured at one end by stitches 2 to the front piece B of the hand portion, as shown in Figure 4, the strip from which the loop is formed being doubled .over, as shown in Figure 3, so as to form top 'and bottom pieces joined together by a con- 'necting portion located at the inner end of the loop, the free end of the top piece projecting outwardly through a slot 3' in the back piece C of the hand portion. Due to the fact that each of said loops, comprises a bottom piece, a top piece and a connecting.

portion for said top and bottom pieces disposed so that. the inner side of the users thumb or little finger will naturally exert pressure on said connecting portion in the normal operation of using the mitt, there is little liability of the mitt accidentally dropping off the users hand. In the mitt shown injFigures 1 to 4 the free ends of the loops E and F are detachably connected to the front piece B of. the hand portion by conventional button snaps, and in order that the size of said loops may be varied, each loop is provided with a socket member 4 that 'is adapted to co-operate with a plurality of buttons 5 arranged different distances from the slot 3 in the back piece 0 of the hand 7 portion through which the free end of the loop extends. A loop or loops of the kind described adds greatly to the efliciency of a baseball mitt, as they permit the writ strap of the mitt to be adjusted in a loose condition without danger of the mitt dropping off accidentally at a critical time when such an accident might result in the winning or losing of a game of baseball.

As previously stated, another object of my invention is to provide a baseball mitt which is so constructed that the palm of the users hand will be held spaced away slightly from the part of the mitt against which a caught ball strike. This feature of my invention is separate and I distinct from the feature previously described, to wit, the loop or loops in the hand portion, and can be used independently of said loops or in conjunction with same. I accomplish this desirable result by equipping certain'of the finger pockets of the hand portion with stops or abutments G arranged far enough from the ends of said pockets to make it necessary for the user to cup his hand by bending or contracting his fingers during the operation of catching a ball. In the mitt shown in Figures 1 to i, inclusive, the finger stops or abutments G are formed by pieces of leather or other suitable material secured by stitches, or in any other way, to the front piece B of the hand portion of the mitt the tips of the users fingers can be pressed against same by bending or flexing the fingers sufficiently to cup the hand. The main function of the finger stops or abutments G is to insure the user cupping his hand sufficiently to hold the palm away from the portion of the mitt against which a caught, ball strikes, thus eliminating the possibility of the users palm being bruised, but said finger stops or abutments also insure the users fingers obtaining such a firm grip or hold on the mitt that the user has perfect control of the mitt.- Preferably, the upper ends of the pieces of leather that constitute the finger stops G are doubled or folded over, as shown more clearly in Figure 4,. so as to produce members in the finger.

of the mitt shown in Figures 1 to 4, but

equipped with finger stops or abutments of slightly different construction. The pockets that receive the thumb and little finger of the users hand are provided with loops E and F of the kind previously described and the three finger pockets, arranged between the thumb pocket and little finger pocket are equipped with finger stops or abutments 'erates with a plurality of spaced formed by a member G that extends transversely of said finger pockets and which is arranged'far enough away from the ends of said pockets to insure the users hand assuming a cupped condition when the tips of the fingers are pressed against said member G. Preferably, the member G consists of a strip of leather or other suitable material permanently connected at one end by stitches, or in any other suitable way, to the front piece B of the hand portion adjacent the little finger pocket and laced through slits 6 in the other three finger pockets of the hand portion, the free end of said strip being detachably and adjustably connected to the front piece B of the hand portion either by a buckle or by a socket member 7 on said strip that coopbuttons 7 on the front piece B of the hand portion of the mitt. The member Gr transversely of the finger pockets, as shown in Figure 5, and when the mitt is in use, the tips of the users fingers are drawn downwardly into engagement with said member, thereby enabling the user to obtain a firm grip or hold on the mitt an'd insuring the palm of the users hand being spaced slightly away from the pad on the front side of the mitt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion combined with said pad, and loops in said handportion through which the thumb and little finger of the users hand are adapted to be inserted each of said loops comprising a top piece, a bottom piece and a connecting portion for joining said pieces disposed so that the part of the users hand positioned in the loop will naturally exert pressure on said connecting portion when the mitt is in use. I

2. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back side of said pad provided with pockets for receiving the thumb and fingers of the users hand, and loops in the thumb and little finger pockets, for the purpose described.

3. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back side of said pad provided with pockets for receiving the thumb and fingers of the users hand, loops in the thumb and little finger pockets, for the purpose described, and means for enabling said loops to be adjusted.

4. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back of said pad formed by a front piece to which the pad is detachably connected and a back piece provided extends pockets, and loops in the thumb pocket and littlefinger pocket, each provided with a top piece, a bottom-piece and a. connecting portion on which the part of the users hand' surroundedby the loop, naturally exerts pressure in a way to prevent the mittfrom accidentally dropping off thehand. 1 H

5. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back of said pad formed by a front piece to which the pad is detachably connected and a back piece provided with a plurality of pockets, and loops in some of said pockets formed from strips of material permanently connected at one end with a-plurality of to the front piece of the hand portion and arranged with their free ends projecting outwardly through slots in the back piece' of the hand portion. 6. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a

hand portion on the back of said pad formed by a front piece to which the pad is detachably connected and a back piece provided with a plurality of pockets, loops in some of said pockets formed from strips of material permanently connected at one end to the front piece of the hand portion and arranged with their free ends projecting outwardly through slots in the back piece of the hand portion, and means for adjustably securing the free ends of said s rips to the front piece of the hand portion.

7. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back of said pad provided with pockets for receiving the thumb and fingers of the users hand, loops in the thumb pocket and little finger pocket, .and means arranged in some of the finger pockets against which the tips of the users fingers are adapted to be pressed so as to hold the users hand in a cupped condition.

8. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back of said pad provided with finger pockets, and a transversely-disposed member laced through slots in said pockets and adapted to serve as stops or abutments against which the tips of the users fingers are pressed when the glove is in use.

9. A baseball mitt, comprising a pad that constitutes the front portion of a mitt, a hand portion on the back of said pad provided with finger pockets, a transverselydisposed abutment member laced through slits in some of said pockets and having one of its ends, permanently connected to the hand, portion of the mitt, and means for adj ustably securing the other end of said member to the hand portion of the mitt, said abutment member being arranged under the users fingers and disposed so as to cause the users hand to assume a cupped condition When the tips of the fingers are pressed against said member.

10. A baseball mitt comprising a pad that 5 constitutes the front portion of the mitt, a hand portion on the back of said pad provided with finger pockets and a thumb pocket loops in the thumb pocket and the little finger pocket, and an abutment mem ber arranged transversely by the pockets intermediate the thumb and little finger pocket against which the tips. of the users lingers are adapted to. be pressed during the operation of catching a ball.

HARRY B. LATINA.

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