US2995756A

US2995756A - Baseball glove

Info

Publication number: US2995756A
Application number: US758298A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry B Latina
Original assignee: AG Spalding and Bros Inc
Current assignee: AG Spalding and Bros Inc
Priority date: 1958-09-02
Filing date: 1958-09-02
Publication date: 1961-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1978-08-15

Description

H. B. LATINA BASEBALL GLOVE Aug. 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1958 1961 H. B. LATINA 2,995,756

BASEBALL GLOVE 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 195

Aug. 15, 1961 H. B. LATINA 2,995,756

BASEBALL GLOVE Filed Sept. 2. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 2,995,756 BASEBALL GLOVE Harry B. Latina, East St. Louis, 111., assignor to A. G. Spalding & Bros, Inc, Chicopee, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 195s, Ser. No. 758,298 4 Claims. or. 2-19) This invention relates to improvements in baseball gloves.

Heretofore baseball catching devices have been primarily constructed as fingered gloves for fielders. and pitchers, and as heavily padded mitts for catchers. A modified baseball glove, adapted generally for first basemen who frequently must catch hard thrown balls, is shown in my prior Patent 2,281,315, issued April 28, 1942. While the present construction adopts certain features thereof, there are a great many other features of construction which constitute new and novel improvements which render the same more universally usable by fielders, pitchers and first basemen. The present construction is also adapted for use by all players in the game of softball.

A principal object of this invention is to construct a glove so that it may be more universally used by all fielders so as to reduce the great variety of constructions now produced.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a glove with a simple construction for snugging and forming the wrist and heel areas of the glove body to conform more easily and yet securely about the players wrist, and to increase the comfort and feel of the glove by providing a novel shape in the heel area thereof.

It is also an object of the invention to incorporate improved wrist strap adjustments and thumb retainer means in a simple and novel manner, whereby the cost of constructing the same is greatly reduced and assembly thereof is simplified.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and novel parts to be embodied in the construction of gloves so that certain extra padding is made available in the finger portion of the glove and economical use of the leather is achieved thereby.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for a glove wherein certain parts thereof are cut in a new and simplified manner to reduce cost of construction and dispose seams in such a way that strength is achieved with added flexibility and hinging action at the little finger and thumb sides thereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide the foregoing improvements in a construction which is considerably easier to close seams and bind edges in manufacture, and reduces the tendencies for seams to tear out inuse.

A preferred construction is illustrated herein and consists in providing an extension on the back fourchette of the shell and the lining portions in the finger section to form an additional and selectively usable stall, as well as additional padding in the finger and palm areas. This construction also consists in providing wrist snugging means with an adjustable wrist strap and thumb retainer device having lacing or anchor means for selectively tightening the glove in the wrist area thereof. The present embodiment consists further in an improved fourchette construction to do away with the usual seams between the fingers and is accomplished by forming one or more of the fourchettes in one-piece portions which make up the adjacent finger stalls.

The invention also consists in those parts and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more particu- Patented Aug. 15, 1961 see larly described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the baseball glove embodying the improvement of this invention, looking at the face thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the baseball glove as viewed from the back thereof and in which features of its construction are illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the baseball glove looking into the wrist opening toward the thumb stall so that portions of the assembly in the little finger side may be seen along with the construction and manner of attachment of the wrist strap portion;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view looking into the hand opening of the glove as shown in FIG. 2 to show the thumb side snugging construction;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the wrist strap and thumb retainer showing the same in flat plan;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevational View taken at line 6--6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a part of the palm portion of the glove showing the provision for the palm extension to form the finger stall and padding piece;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the backing piece for the thumb, backstop and forefinger portions of the glove similar to FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view seen at line 9-9 in FIG. 2 along the little finger side of the glove.

In FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6 of the drawing the glove illustrated comprises a body shell 10 formed of parts which comprise a facing piece 11, a backing piece 12 and a lining assembly 13 suitably joined together to form enclosed areas for padding P between the facing 11 and lining assembly 13. The usual hand receiving opening portion H is provided in the cut-out area of the backing 12. The body shell construction generally follows the constructions which are now well known, but certain modifications have been introduced in order to provide for the present improvements now to be described in detail.

As may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, the facing piece 11 is formed with a thumb section 14, a backstop section 15 and the

respective finger sections

15, 17, 18 and 19, all of which sections are integral with a palm section 20. The facing piece 11 also has a palm extension 21 which extends outwardly between the backstop section 15 and the forefinger section 16. The extension 21 has a flap 22 which is adapted to be folded (FIG. 2) beneath the extension 21 to form an auxiliary forefinger stall at the back of the body shell. The backing 12 (FIG. 8) is correspondingly formed with a thumb section 23, a backstop section 24, and cooperating forefinger section 25. The backing 12 is also formed with a wrist snugging extension 26 having, in turn,

extensions

27 and 28 at the base of the thumb 23 to cooperate with portions of the facing piece 11, as shown. The lining 13 and backing piece 12 are suitably connected to the facing piece 11 so that the usual thumb and finger stalls are formed thereby (FIG. 6), and suitable padding P is enclosed between the facing and lining pieces. The backing piece adjacent the forefinger is formed with a padding flap 29 which assumes a position in front of the forefinger stall and the auxiliary stall. As seen in FIG. 6, the thumb stall is at A, the forefinger stall at B under the flap 29, the auxiliary stall at B above the flap 29, and the remaining finger stalls at C, D and E. It can be appreciated that the backing piece 12 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) comprises the modified thumb section 23 having the integral backstop section 24 and wrist snugging means in the form of the principal snugging extension 26 and

extensions

27 and 28. Similarly, a modified little finger section 30 (FIG. 9) having wrist snugging means in the form of

extensions

31 and 32. Also, the forefinger portion 25 is modified to provide the extension 29 which connects with the extension flap 33 (FIGS. 2 and 6) of the forefinger lining part 34 to form the second ply of the auxiliary padding which is in front of the normal stall B when stall B is being employed. It is obvious, of course, that the size and area covered by the auxiliary padding may be Varied, but the provision of the same is new.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved glove facing piece It]. and backing piece 12 are suitably bound at certain of the margins by the usual type of binding strip indicated at 35, and certain of the margins connected by thong or lacing means 36 and at sewed seams 37 in other margins. in the backstop, the margins of overlying sections 15 and 2 and the adjacent margins of overlying sections 16 and Z oflthe forefinger and overlying sections 14' and 23 of the thumb are bound by strips 35 and by thong or lacing means 33.

Sections

15 and 24 representing the backstop assembly is flexibly connected by means 39 and so respectively to the thumb and forefinger stalls. Some gloves may be provided with a control strap member 41 to regulate the distance between the thumb and forefinger. Such member is suitably connected at its ends to the tip portions of the thumb and forefin er, and is flexibly connected to the backstop so that the latter may retain its freedom of action when catching a ball. The construction shown does away with a number of separate pieces heretofore thought necessary and improved shaping of portions of the body pieces has greatly simplified the manufacturing operations as well as manifestly improved the utilization of the leather and other materials employed, including the cutting and installation of the usual padding P (FIG. 6) between the facing piece and lining.

Turning now to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the glove is provided with an improved wrist snugging device which 'mcludes the

extensions

25 and 31 and an adjustable wrist strap S. The strap consists of a pair of matching sec tions as and &7 (section as being illustrated in FIG. 5) forming a flattened tubular strap suitably bound together at the margins. The outer section 46 is pierced at a plurality of locations for anchoring means, but the under section 47 is not pierced so that it remains smooth to lie against the players wrist. The sections de and 47 (see FIG. 3) have matching thumb retainer loop extensions 4% and 49 which together form a two-ply thumb retainer loop L positioned under the wrist extension 26 on the thumb section 23. The adjacent end portion of strap 5 also lies beneath the snugging extension as, and the opposite end lies beneath the snugging extension 31 at the little finger side of the wrist opening. In fiexibly and adju tably connecting the strap S to the extensions as and 31, a first lacing means 56 (FIG. 2) having an anchor end 51 is strung through an eyelet 52 in the outer margin of extension 31, a pair of adjacent eyelets 53 and Se in the strap section 46, and out at eyelet S5 in the same extension, but a knot 56 is formed in the lacing length which lies under extension 31 and between eyelets 54- and 55 to act as a stop. The lacing continues on into eyelet 57 and through the tube-like strap 5 to emerge at the distant eyelet 58 and enters eyelet 59 in the extension as. A second anchor stop knot 6% is formed under extension 26 in advance of the lacing passing through

adjacent eyelets

61 and 62 in the end of strap section (FIGS. 4- and 5) the lacing emerging through the eyelet 53 at the anchor end 64. Similarly, a second lacing means 65 between its

opposite anchor ends

66 and 67 is run through a series of

eyelets

68, 69, 7d, 71, 72, 7'3, 74 and 75, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4- and 5. The

thumb loop extensions

48 and 49 have aligned eyelets '76 and 77 to receive the looped portion of a lacing means, and the anchor ends 78 and 79 of this means emerge at eyelets 80 and 81 to form tie ends. When the strap S is suitably adjusted to the players Wrist, ends 51 and as may be knotted together at the little finger extension, and ends 6% and 67 may also be knotted together at the thumb extension. Knots 56 and 64) in the lacing means 5d act as limiting stops for both directions of adjustments, and also act as safety stops should one or both knotted ends 51 and 66 and 64. and 67 become loosened or come untied while in use. The snugging action of the device is shown in FIG. 4 where the normal Width NW of the hand opening H in a conventional glove is contrasted with the narrower width SW of the effective hand opening, both measurements being taken adjacent the usual heel padding as shown by the lacing means in the palm and lining areas of the body.

ince the thumb and

little finger extensions

26 and 31 respectively are laced into position and thereby provide a degree of flexibility and movement not present in sewed seam constructions, it is at once apparent that the respective ends of the wrist strap S will also enjoy a hitherto unknown degree of movement when in use which provides a snug and very reassuring feel to the player. Its benefits are in the degree to which the

respective extensions

26 and 31 may work relative to the adjacent heel portion of the body, as in the construction illustrated the extensions as and 31 may work or shift and fold relative to the

adjacent extensions

28 and 32 respectively and the lining 13. Furthermore, the thumb and little finger extensions 26 and IE1 have the added advantage that they act to close up and snug the wrist opening at either or both sides of the players wrist Without pulling or straining adjacent parts or taking anything away from the desired width of the glove across the heel area. The construction and attachment of these

extensions

26 and 31 permits full freedom in the closing hinge-like action of the glove when catching a ball, as each forms a hinge at the respective sides.

In providing the wrist snugging and hinge action at

extensions

26 and 31, the heel and hand opening area of the glove has been reshaped to give it a rounded-off contour so that the corners heretofore present at the thumb and little finger sides are no longer present to catch on things and make the player conscious of that hazard.

The present glove as in FIG. 2 embodies a construction in the backing piece 12 which eliminates the necessity for having seams directly between the fingers. This is accomplished by the arrangement of fourchette parts such that one part 82 forms half of the little finger and the other part 33 forms half of the third finger. It can be appreciated that this avoids a longitudinal seam extending outwardly from the crotch, and merely has the transverse seam in the crotch. The part 84-, in like manner, forms the other half of the third finger and the part 85 forms half of the second finger resulting in a similar crotch. Similarly part 86 forms the other half of the second finger and part $7 forms half of the forefinger and is seamed at MP to the part 25 of the forefinger which is associated with the backstop 24 and auxiliary stall B. The outer margin of the fourchette part 82 is sewed at 41L to the little finger part 331, such seam being carried into the bound edge of the hand opening instead of being carried as usual to the heel edge of the glove body. It is understood, of course, that one or more of the foregoing simplified fourchettes may be used as desired, but the added strength afforded at the base of the fingers by avoiding a lengthwise seam at the crotch, and the easier closing and binding operation during manufacture makes it most advantageous to incorporate the improved fourchette construction.

Turning again to FIG. 2, the auxiliary padding furnished by the extensions 2&9 and 33 may be varied to take in an area of the palm lining 13 which is smaller or larger than that shown, and certain of the extensions may be eliminated to decrease the thickness of the padding, as desired. In such a construction, the auxiliary padding may be free of (as shown) or attached to the adjacent lining 13 and backing piece 12, and it may be formed of leather or other material. The advantage of providing the auxiliary stall B and the auxiliary padding extension for the forefinger, or for any of the other fingers, is that during training periods when the players hand is tender the padding may be used. This is especially true of the forefinger which is directly behind the ball catching pocket and gets the full effect of the impact. As the hand toughens with constant playing, the forefinger may be placed in the usual stall. In some instances, players form the habit of playing with the forefinger exposed at the back of the glove due to the feel of better control which that gives. The auxiliary stall B aifords complete protection while giving the desired additional padding, and the loose positioning thereof allows the same to be lifted sufliciently to insert the finger or fingers in the normal stalls.

The embodiment of the preferred glove herein disclosed may now be fully appreciated by those skilled in this art, and certain variations in its construction will obviously appear after understanding the principles of the improvements. However, it is to be understood that all variations and modifications are included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A baseball glove construction comprising a body shell formed from a facing piece, a backing piece and a lining piece connected together to provide thumb and finger stalls and a hand receiving opening across the entrances to said stalls from the thumb side to the little finger side of said body shell, said facing piece having a palm section and spaced thumb, backstop and finger sections connected thereto, said backstop being disposed between said thumb section and the adjacent one of said [finger sections, a palm extension extending through the space between said backstop and said adjacent one of the finger sections and secured to said backing piece to form an auxiliary finger stall, an auxiliary padding extension connected to said backing piece adjacent said auxiliary finger stall and lying on the adjacent lining piece, and means retaining the wrist of the players hand in the hand receiving opening, the player being able selectively to insert the fingers into said stalls and to insert one finger into said auxiliary stall on top of said auxiliary padding.

2. A baseball glove construction comprising a body shell formed from a facing piece, a backing piece and a lining piece connected together to provide thumb and finger stalls and a hand receiving opening across the entrances to said stalls from the thumb side to the little finger side of said body shell, said facing piece having a palm section and spaced thumb and finger sections connected thereto, said thumb section and the adjacent one of said finger sections being widely spaced, a backstop section connected to said palm section and disposed in said wide spacing between said thumb and the adjacent one of said finger sections and being itself spaced from the adjacent finger section, a palm extension extending through the space between said backstop and the adjacent one of said finger sections and being secured to said backing piece to form an auxiliary finger stall, said auxiliary finger stall being disposed opposite said palm section and in superposed relation to one of said finger stalls, an auxiliary padding extension connected to said backing piece adjacent said auxiliary finger stall and lying on the adjacent lining piece, and means retaining the wrist of a players hand in the hand receiving opening, the player being able selectively to insert the fingers into said stalls and to insert one finger into said auxiliary stall on top of said auxiliary padding.

3. A baseball glove construction comprising a body shell formed from a lfacing piece, a backing piece, and a lining piece connected together to provide thumb and finger stalls and a hand receiving opening in front of said stalls, said facing piece having a palm section and other sections extending therefrom in spaced relation forming respectively a thumb section, a backstop section adjacent said thumb section and a plurality of finger sections, one of said finger sections being adjacent said backstop section opposite said thumb section, said backing piece comprising a thumb section, a backstop section and a plurality of finger sections including fourchettes connected to said finger sections of said facing piece, and in which each fourchette forms a part of the back of two adjacent finger stalls, an auxiliary finger stall connected to one of said fourchettes of said backing piece and overlying at least one of said finger stalls, wrist retainer means including a strap extending over said hand receiving opening between the thumb side and the little finger side of said body shell, and padding connected to said body shell and lying loosely in front of said auxiliary stall to extend partly under said wrist retainer strap, said padding being movable to provide access to said one finger stall and lying upon said lining piece to provide access to said auxiliary stall, and said strap retaining said padding against projecting from the hand opening.

4. A baseball glove construction including: a body having a face with a ball receiving pocket therein, a back connected to said face and forming with the face a thumb stall at one side and finger stalls spaced therefrom with one finger stall at the side opposite said thumb stall, a lining in said body, and padding between said lining and face forming a heel portion on the body extending widthwise thereof and of less length than the spacing between the thumb and one finger stalls, said heel having an outer margin; and a wrist snugging assembly on the body comprising extensions on said back at the thumb and one finger stalls, said extensions projecting over the adjacent ends of said heel portion and having outer margins overlying portions of the outer margin of the heel portion, binding means connecting said outer margins of said extensions to said outer margin of the heel portion to close the back of said body in front of said thumb and one finger stalls, a wrist strap overlying said heel portion and having an end underlying each of said extensions, releasable lacing means extending through said wnist strap and each extension and being tied adjacent each extension, and a knot in said releasable lacing means located between one of the extensions and the adjacent end of said wrist strap to limit the extent of relative movement between said wrist strap and extension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,324,219 Latina July 13, 1943 2,434,171 Latina Ian. 6, 1948 2,629,096 Latina Feb. 24, 1953 2,722,007 Tompkins NOV. 1, 1955 2,778,023 Tompkins Ian. 22, 1957