US1826851A - Baseball glove - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1931. w. P. WHITLEY 1,826,851

BASEBALL GLOVE Filed March 5, 1927 /A/V5/VTOES WILL/AM R WH/TLEK Patented Oct. 13, 1 931 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,WILLIAM P. WHITLEY, OF CLAYTON, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO RAWLINGS MANUFAC' TUBING COMPANY, OF S'IHIrOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI BASEBALL eLovE Application filed March 5,

This invention relates to baseball gloves, and has for one of its objects to provide a glove that is equipped with a novel means for causing the thumb and all of the fingers of the glove to be drawn automatically into engagement with a caught ball that strikes the thumb and index finger at a point above the crotch of the glove.

Another object is to provide a baseball mglove that is equipped with a novel means for causing the strain exerted on the thumb and index finger of the glove by a caught ball to be partly distributed to the other I fingers of the glove.

* Another object of my invention is to provide a baseball glove in which the thumb and fingers are combined in a novel manner with a means, which, in addition to co-operating V with the thumb and index finger to form a zo-skeletonelike pocket for a caught ball, also tends to draw the fingers of the glove together and cause them to mutually support each other in the operation of catching a ball.

, And still another object is to provide a baseball glove, which, in additionto having the desirable characteristics above mentioned, is flexible and of such construction that it can be adjusted or changed easily to vary the width of the ball pocket formed partly by 'the thumb and index finger of the glove. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter. pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is a front elevational' view of a baseball glove constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the fingers of the glove drawn together.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view, showingvthe fingers of the glove separated.

igure 3 is a rear elevational view of the 40glove, with the fingers drawn together, as

shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings which illus- '-trate the preferred form of my invention, A designates a baseball glove that is provided with a thumb 1, an index finger 2, a second finger 3, a third finger 4 and a little finger 5. A lacing B that preferably consists of a 3 leather thong but which may be formed from 1927. Serial No. 173,137.

and the fingers of the glove in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, but it is preferably arranged so that it forms two strands 00 and 3 that extend transversely of the space between the thumb 1 and index finger 2, and an extension of the top strand that is attached to the little finger 5 of the glove and which passes freely through the index, second and third fingers of the glove at a point in front of the users fingers, as shown in Figure 4. The strands w and y co-operate with the thumb and index finger to form a skeleton-like pocket for a caught ball, and in viewof the fact that one element of said pocket, to wit, the top strand 3 is connected to a portion of the lacing B that is secured to the little finger 5 of the glove, the rearward pressureiwhich a caught ball exerts on the strands m and y will draw the fingers of'the glove together, as shown in Figure 1, and thus cause the fingers to mutually support each other. It is not essential, so far as my broad idea is concerned, that the back stop or skeleton-like rear portion of the ball pocket be formed by two or more strands, although I prefer to construct the glove in this manner.

In the form of my invention herein illustrated the portion of the lacing B that constitutes the bottom strand at between the thumb and index finger, is connected at one end to the index finger preferably by a knot 6 on the end of the lacing that prevents it from pulling out of two eyelets 7 located in one side of the index finger 2. The other end of the bot tom strand 0a is connected to one end of the top strand 3 by a portion a of the lacing that extends longitudinally of the thumb l through eyelets 8 in the side of the thumb, as shown in Figure 3, thereby causing the length. of one of said strands to be increased when the length of the other strand is de- 5 creased. lhe opposite end of the top strand y is connected to a portion of the lacing B that passes freely through eyelets 9 located in the opposite sides of the index finger 2, and through eyelets l and 11 located in the opposite sides of the second finger 3 and the third finger l, resaectively, the terminal por tion of the lacing passing through aligned eyelets 12 and 13 in the front and rear sides of the little finger and being provided witha knot 1r located on the rear side of the little finger 5, as shown in Figure 3. Due to the fact that the eyeletsJ, and 11 are arranged in the opposite sides of the indexfinger, the: second finger and the third finger of the glove, the lacing will be arranged in front-0f the users fingers, as shown in Figure 4,. and consequently, will not cramp the users fingers when the lacing is subjected to a pull in adirection tending to draw the fingers tog gether. This method of combining the lacing with the thumb and the fingers of the glove is also desirable, in that the user can easily adjust the gloveto vary the width of the space between the thumb and index finger by untying one of the knots in the lacing and then tying a knot at a difierent point, so'as toincrease or decrease the efiective length of the lacing.

Normally, the fingers of the glove are separated, as shown in Figure 2, but when a caught ball strikes the strands a and y of the lacing that extend transversely between the thumb and index finger, the pressure which" the ball exerts on said strands'produces a pull on the portion of the lacing that passes through the fingers 2, 3 and 4 of the glove, and which is connected to the little finger 5, with the result that the fingers of the glove will be drawn together, as shown in Figure 1, thereby causing the fingers to mutually support each other. Not only are the fingers of the glove drawn together automatically by the force or pressure which a caught ball exerts on the portion or portions of the lacing that extend transversely between the thumb and index finger, but the strain to which the thumb and index finger are subjected by a caught ball is distributed to the other fingers of the glove.

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

1. A baseball glove provided with a thumb and fingers, strands arranged transversely between the thumb and index finger and connected together in such a way that they are capable of moving relatively to eachother so as to conform to the curvature ofa ball positioned between the thumb and index finger, and an extension on one of said strands attached to the little finger of the glove and passing freely through eyelets in the side portions of the intermediate fingers, positioned so that said extension will be located in front of the intermediate fingers of the users hand.

2. A baseball glove provided with a thumb and fingers, and a lacing attached to the little finger of the glove and passing freely through eyelets in the opposite side portions of the third, second and index fingers of the glove, positioned so that said lacing will be located at the front side of the internal spaces of said parts which receive the users fingers, said lacing comprising a plurality of transversel disposed portions between the thumb and index finger, one of which portions is attached to the index finger;

3". A baseball glove provided with a thumb and fingers, a lacing adjustably connected to the index finger of the glove and arranged to form two transversely-disposed strands between the thumb and index finger that are connected together at one end by a portion which extendslongitudinally of the thumb of the glove, the portion of said lacing that is connected to the top strand passing freely through eyelets in the sides of the index, second and third fingers of the glove and being adjusta-bly connected to the little finger of the glove.

4:. A baseball glove provided: with a. thumb and fingers-,a'nd a lacing attach'ed to the index. finger of the glove and arr 'nged was to form a plurality of strands that aredi'sposed trans- Versely of the space between the index finger and the thumb of the glove and which: are connected together in such a way that the length of one' of said strands willbeincreased when the length of the other strand is decreased,- one of said strands having an extension that isattached to the little finger of the glove and which passes freely thru the sides of the intermediate fingers, whereby said extension will be located in: front of the u'sers index, second and third fingers, and hence, will. not exert a cramping action on same when the glove is in use.

WILLIAM P. VVHITLEY..

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