US2227825A

US2227825A - Hand swimming attachment

Info

Publication number: US2227825A
Application number: US281510A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Devermann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-06-28
Filing date: 1939-06-28
Publication date: 1941-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1958-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1941. l c. E. DEVERMANN 2,227,825

HAND SWIMMING ATTACHMENT Filed June 28, 1939 Patented `Ian. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,227,825 LHANn SWIMMING ATTACHMENT Charles E. Devermann, Bronxville, N. Y. Application June 2s, 1939, serial No. 281,510 3 claims. (ol. 9 21) This invention relates to a device to be used as an aid in swimming, and particularly to a device which may be arranged upon the hand of a swimmer to increase the effective area thereof `in web-like fashion; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described -whichfis fashioned from a single sheet of resilient rubber-like material having a plurality of slits and apertures for the arrangement of the device on the hand; a further object being to provide a swimming aid of the character described which may be produced in a single forming operation and which as produced may be arranged upon either the left or the right hand of a user; and with` these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, efiicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying Adrawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference `characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved swimming device showing an effective arrangement of nger 'engaging slits and apertures.

Fig. 2 isa View showing my device arranged upon the hand as seen from the palm side thereof.

Fig. 3 is a View showing my device arranged upon Athe hand as seen from the back side thereofl and indicating an alternative mode of arranging the thumb therein, and

Fig. 4 is a-view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

'In swimming, the area of the hand effective for producing a propelling force is relatively small, and it is the purpose of the present invention toV increase the effective area by providing means arrangeable on the extended thumb and ngers of the hand for forming web-like portions between the thumb and extended ngers. In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown one form of my device as comprising a substantially crescent-shaped strip or sheet I0 of relatively soft and pliable material. This material may be rubber, suitably rubberized fabric, 0r other suitable material, preferably of a waterrepellent nature.

'I'he strip I0 is provided, at one end portion thereof, with an elongated thumb aperture II adjacent the inner curved edge I2 of said sheet and an elongated slit I3 adjacent the outer edge I4 of said sheet, forming between said slit and aperture, a thumb engaging band I5. The other end portion of the sheet I0 is provided with a pair of apertures IB, I6a radially arranged with respect to the curvature of said sheet forming therebetween a band I'I adapted to engage the 5 end or littlefinger of the hand. Between the last named apertures I6, |601, and the thumb engaging aperture I I, are three groups of radially arranged apertures I8, I9 and slits 2i) forming finger engaging bands 2|, 22. The portions of 10 the sheet I0 between the last named nger engaging bands and apertures and the apertures I6, form substantially uniform web portions 23, 23a, 23h, while the portion of the sheet between the thumb engaging aperture I I and the adjacent finger engaging apertures, forms an enlarged web 23o.

In arranging the sheet I0 upon the hand, the fingers are first passed through the apertures I8 and the aperture I6 to dispose the portion 24 of 20 the sheet I0 adjacent the edge I2 thereof against the palm of the hand adjacent the base of the fingers as will be apparent in considering Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing. The fingers are then passed in the reverse direction through the aper- 25 tures I9 and the aperture Ilia, disposing the bands 2| and I'I at the top or back sides of the fingers as will be apparent in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing.` The three middle fingers are then passed through the slits 20, disposing the bands 22 on the front or inner surfaces of the ngers as seen in Figs. Zand 4 of the drawing. The thumb may then be passed through the sheet ID in one of two ways, at the discretion of the user, to most closely and comfortably t the contour of the hand. In Fig. 2, for example, the thumb has been passed through the aperture II in the same direction that the fingers had been passed through the apertures I8, thereby disposing the portion of the sheet adjacent the edge I2 against 40 the palm of the hand. In this event, the thumb is then passed through the slit I3, thereby disposing the band `I5 on the outer or back side of the thumb. The other, and probably more universal mode of attaching the sheet I 0 to the 45 thumb is shown in Fig. 3. There, the thumb is passed through the aperture II in the direction opposite to the passage of the fingers through the apertures I8, thereby disposing the band I5 on the inner or front side of the thumb when the thumb is passed through the aperture I3. The mode of attachment shown in Fig. 3 provides for a closer support of the web 23e between the thumb and the adjacent index nger.

It will be apparent that my device will t 5@ either hand, thereby obviating the necessity of manufacturing distinct articles as "rights and lefts, while at the same time simplfying the use of the device by eliminating selection of the 5 rights and lefts 'Ihe device may also be produced in a number of stock sizes to conform to the various hand sizes and contours.

The various slits and apertures are preferably made to snugly nt the fingers, thereby preventing l passage of water between the fingers and the device. It is also advisable to form the palm engaging portion 24 somewhat shorter than the width of the palm at the base of the fingers,

so that a tension may be set up in the portion 24 15 across the base of the lingers to hold the portion 24 firmly against the palm.

It will be apparent that my improved swimming device by virtue of its simplicity, may be very inexpensively produced, and when formed 20 from sheet rubber, may be fashioned in a single stamping operation. At the same time, ther fiexibility of use provided by the arrangement of slits and apertures, and the adaptability as to size which is provided by the use of sheet rubber, renders the device extremely practical and convenient for use by a swimmer. Another advantage of the simple and pliable construction employed is that the fingers may readily be extended in the manner shown in the drawing to 30 utilize the complete area of the webs 23, 23a, 23h, 23o in the propelling stroke of the hand through the water. In the return stroke of the hand through the water or in removing the hand from the water, the fingers may be clenched and the resistance of the webs overcome.

My improved swimming device may also be referred to as a unitary strip or sheet of Waterproof material which is apertured and cut to form spaced finger engaging bands, and the porim tions of the sheet between the spaced apertures and bands form webs extending from the tips of the fingers to the base thereof and even extend beyond the base of the fingers, thereby insuring a water-tight engagement of the device 4,, with the hand. It should be noted in this connection that the apertures in the strip provide for a very close engagement of the device with the fingers while the slits adjacent the outer edge of the sheet engage the fingers more freely, thereby facilitating complete attachment of the device after the fingers have been passed through the apertures. As a further advantage of my improved device, it will be noted that by providing a unitary sheet having cuts and aper- 57 tures as described, the device has a minimum of bulk, thereby facilitating compactfolding or rolling of the device when not in use. n

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

l. A device adapted for use on the hand as a swimming aid, said device comprising a substantially crescent-shaped sheet of resilient material having inner and outer curved edges, said sheet 65 having adjacent the inner edge thereof elonsurfaces of the fingers of the hand on the inner gated apertures spaced along said inner edge and extending from the inner edge portion of the sheet in the direction of the outer edge, said sheet having slits spaced along said outer edge in transverse alinement with respect to all but one of the first named apertures, said sheet hav ing additional apertures, of less size than the first named apertures, intermediate said slits and second named apertures, and the arrangement of the apertures and slits in said sheet constil0 tuting the sole means of attachment of the device to the fingers of the hand, and providing an exposure of the major portion of the inner surface of the device.

2. A hand device adapted for use as a swimming aid, said device comprising a substantially crescent-shaped rubber sheet conforming substantially to the contour of the extended thumb and fingers. of the hand and having inner and outer curved edges, said sheet being provided with radially arranged groups of apertures spaced longitudinally of said edges for the reception of the thumb and fingers of the hand, each group comprising not more than three transversely 25 spaced apertures, the majority of said groups each comprising a transversely elongated aperture extending from the inner edge portion of the sheet in the direction of the outer edge thereof, an aperture arranged longitudinally with respect to and adjacent the outer edge of the sheet and an aperture smaller than the first named aperture and arranged intermediate the first named apertures, and said device when arranged upon the fingers of the hand will dispose the inner edge portion thereof upon the palm adjacent the base of the fingers of the hand and expose the major portion of the inner surfaces of the fingers at the inner surface of said device.

3. A hand swimming attachment of the class described comprising a unitary fiat sheet of pliable water-proof material, said sheet having inner and outer curved edges and five finger receiving zones spaced longitudinally of said edges, said zones compris-ing groups of transversely arranged apertures, all zones having large apertures at the inner edge portion of the sheet, the zones at the end portions of the sheet forming single finger engaging bands, the other three zones each comprising three apertures thereby producing two finger engaging bands therebetween, one of the last mentioned bands of each zone being disposed on inner surfaces of the fingers between the outer ends and first joint thereof when the device is arranged upon the hand, and the other finger engaging bands of all of said zones beingrdisposed on the outer surfaces of the fingers between the rst and second joints thereof, thereby producing of the parts of the sheet, intermediate said zones, outwardly curved web portions between adjacent fingers when the device is in use.

CHARLES E. DEVERMANN. 5