US2751598A - Golf gloves - Google Patents

Description

B. B. ROMEO June 26, 1956 GOLF GLOVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1954 INVENTOR.

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AMP/YE) B. B. ROMEO GOLF GLOVES June 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1954 United States Patent GOLF GLOVES Benjamin B. Romeo, Mount Vernon, N. Y. Application June 28, 1954, Serial No. 439,610 7 Claims. (Cl. 2-161) This invention relates to golf gloves.

The golf glove of the instant invention is usable in ordinary play but it is particularly useful as a golf training glove. Thus, its construction is such as to enable the player to maintain a firm, accurate, and unwavering grip upon the club throughout the extent of the swing. Other advantages of the instant glove include means to maintain the proper disposition of the third and fourth fingers of the hand on the club shaft; the provision of means to insure the proper positioning of the entire hand on the club shaft; the correct spacing of the thumb from the index or first finger when the hand iswrapped around the club shaft; and means to facilitate the correct application of the well-known interlocking grip to the club shaft.

The above mentioned objects are realized by particular formation of the glove as will be pointed out hereinafter, reference being now made to the following drawings in which:

Figure l is a view illustrating the wearing of the glove by a player, the player being shown gripping the club shaft;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the glove as worn and before it is locked in folded position on the players hand;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the rear of the glove;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the wearing of a modified embodiment of the glove;

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the modified glove as worn;

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the modified glove; and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the glove is provided with a front face 10 and a rear face 11, which form the body of the glove and include the palm portion thereof. As is well known, the stalls of the thumb and succeeding or first two fingers are cut off or truncated so that the fingers protrude therefrom. However, the stalls of the last two fingers are joined together and are integral with extension 12 which comprises two elongated, rectangular sections sewn together at their outside edges and along a central line 13 so as to effectively divide the extension 12 into two hollow, parallel longitudinal sections 14 and 15. The length of extension 12 including the stalls thereof is about six inches. The free, extreme outer end of extension 12 is provided with a plurality of clasp fasteners 16 arranged in triangular formation and complementary to the clasp fastener 17 formed on the wrist portion 18. The purpose of such formation is to conveniently adjust the effective size of the glove in its locked position as will hereinafter appear. In addition, complementary clasp fasteners 16a and 17a are provided to firmly secure or lock a golf club shaft against the palm, fastener 16a being disposed approximately centrally of the extension and fastener 17a being in the palm portion. For purposes of clarity, the fingers succeeding the thumb are herein referred to as the first, second, third and fourth fingers respectively.

A considerable advantage exists in the connection of the thumb stall 19 to the body of the glove. This conneetion is effected by means of the horizontal strip or thumb gusset 20 which in the first embodiment, is sewn across the front face of the glove. Strip 20 extends outwardly of the main body of the glove as illustrated in Figure 3 and the line of stitching 21 connects to the thumb stall and is disposed so as to serve as a guide for positioning the hand on the club shaft as will hereinafter appear. Furthermore, the strip 20 provides a limit for outward movement of the thumb which further serves to insure correct positioning of the thumb on the shaft.

In using the glove, the player first puts it on and grasps the club shaft whereupon he may snap the desired clasps 16 and 17 and thereafter the complementary clasps 16a and 17a to firmly hold down or lock the third and fourth fingers and club shaft against the palm as illustrated in Figure 1.

It has been found that the fourth finger sometimes tends to fold within the third finger and to prevent this I optionally provide a plug 22 which is sewn within extension section 15 so as to help maintain such section 15 properly aligned in respect to section 14 without buckling thereunder. Thus, the plug 22 tends to bear against the third finger and maintains the correct, parallel position of the extension section 15 and therefor of the fourth finger. Plug 22 is simply a wad of fibrous material having a cover which is sewn in place and is useful but not necessary in the use of the glove.

When the user grasps the club shaft with the left hand, he can employ the line 21 in radially aligning his hand with the top longitudinal center of the club shaft, the line 21 being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the glove or parallel to any of the finger stalls. Thus, when the club normally rests on the ground, a line may be drawn on the shaft along its upper extent which indicates the center line of the shaft from the top to the club head thereof. This line will be normally the topmost line of the shaft along its length as the club rests normally in the players hand. The player then turns his closed hand along the club shaft until the line 20 is in alignment with the shaft center line. In this way, he will insure that his hand is correctly radially placed on the shaft.

It is further of considerable importance to limit any outward movement of the thumb so as to avoid the common mistake of encircling the club shaft between the first finger and the thumb. I have determined that the greatest effective transverse length of the thumb stall 19 including the outwardly extending length of member 20 should be approximately 2". Thus, the thumb should not extend more than two inches from the remainder of the hand and, if the player extends his thumb to the fullest extent in the glove of the instant invention, as he should do, it will be the required distance from his hand so as to avoid encircling the club shaft.

The glove has still another function in that it facilitates the application of the interlocking grip to the club shaft. Thus, a strip 23 is sewn across the rear of the stalls of the first and second fingers. The strip 23 is slightly loose so as to permit a maximum separation of about .4;" between the two stalls. This effectively permits the fourth finger of the right hand to be inserted into the space 24 between such first and second fingers of the left hand whereupon the fourth finger of the right hand will be effectively held within such space by the strip 23 so as to hold said fourth finger there and discourage its displacement during the swing.

Patented June 26, 1956 Referring now to Figures 6 to 9, a modified embodiment is shownwhich in general serves the purposes of the main embodiment but is even further improved. Thus, the modified glove is provided witha front face 30 and a rear face 31, the front face including the palm portion V stall 34. Extension 33 is formed with a clasp fastener 35 which is complementary to the clasp fastener 36." and serves the same purpose as clasp fasteners 16a and 17a of the previous embodiment.

The rear face of the joined finger stalls 31 and 32 is provided with a pair of clasp fasteners 37 and 38, the clasp 33 being higher than the clasp 37'. The inside face of: extension 33 is provided with two pairs of clasp fasteners 32 and either pair of which may be secured. to fasteners 37 and 38 for adjusting the effective size of the glove. The clasp fastener 41 mates with the fastener 42; for closing the glove at t he wris,t as is conventional.

Meansare p ovided in the modified glove for limiting outward movement of the thumb stall as well as provid ing a: guide line as in the previous embodiment. Thus, strip or gussett 43, connects the body of the glove to the thumb stall and limits outward movement thereof. At the same time, strip 43 is provided with. a substantially by the thumb. All these factors result in a glove by which the hand may be properly placed on the club shaft and maintained against accidental or any kind of displacement thereof due to the swinging action. Accordingly, the player is educated into assuming the proper position and maintaining such position and even when be thereafter decides to do without the glove, he will benefit by its instructional advantages.

What is claimed is: v

1. A golf glove comprising a body including a palm portion, a wrist portion, and finger stalls for the four fingers and the thumb, said finger stalls for the third and central; and longitudinal line 44 which serves as a guide 7 line s uch as line 2 1 of the previous embodiment.

The glove of the modified embodiment achieves substantially the same results as in the previous embodiment but in more desirable form in many respects. The player first puts it on and grasps the club shaft whereupon he snaps either of the snap fastener pairs 39 or 46 to the snapfasteners37 and 33 so as to hold the third and fourth fingerstalls in folded position. As in the previous embodiment, clasp fastener is disposed substantially centrally of the extension and it is then snapped over 'fastener36, sothat the. club shaft is firmly retained orlocked.

When the thumb is stretched outwardly to its maximumextent, it will be found that the strip or gusset 43' maintains it properly spaced from the glove body anddis- Cour-ages the encircling of the club shaft. The hand may, thenbe rotated around the club shaft until the line 4dis, in alignment with an imaginary line 45 representing theuppermosttop line of the club shaft when it is resting normally on the. ground. 7 I

The glove of the second embodiment has a further utility in. that. after a period of time, the player may feel thatthe training glove is no longer necessary and he will find iteasy id m the extension 33 oh thus rendering the glove substantially conventional in appearance and function. However, it will be obvious that instead of being stitched at its lower. end jointly to the wrist portion and the thumb stall, the. extension 33 may be fastened theretov by snap fasteners so as. to be. easily removable. It mayalsobenoted that if desired, rubberized gripping material such as Snug-Tex can be sewn to the insideof thelthird or fourth finger'stalls to enhancev the club oan -se I t has been found that both embodiments of the glove oftheinstant invention arevery effective in maintaining the third and fourth fingers of the left hand firmly on the club shaft throughout the swing, the complementary palm portion andcxtension center clasps contributing to this result. The glove is of considerable and possibly even greater utility in providing for proper alignment of the hand on the club shaft by means of the thumb gusset guide line. The limitation of outward movement Ofihe thumb stall -further insures against undesirable encircling action fourth fingers being joined, an extension strip connected at a lower end thereof to the wrist portion of the glove, a plurality of clasp fasteners on the other, end of the strip, and complementary clasp fasteners on the rear side of said third and fourth finger stalls and adapted to be engaged by said extension end fasteners for maintaining said third and fourth finger stalls in a folded position clasp fastener on the inside face of said extension strip and substantially centrally thereof and an additional clasp fastener which is complementary thereto on the palm 7 7 portion whereby a club shaft may be locked between the folded fingers and against said palm portion;

3. A golf glove comprising a body including a palm portion, a wrist portion, and finger stalls for the four fingers and the thumb, the finger stalls for the third and fourth fingers being joined, extension means for said third and fourth finger stalls and adapted to hold said third and fourth finger stalls in folded position against said palm portion, means connecting one end of said extension means to said wrist portion, a fastener element on said extension means disposed approximately centrally of: the length thereof, a complementary fastener element on said palm portion, and a strip connecting an 7 upper portion of said thumb stall to said body so as to limit the outward movement of said thumb stall relative to said body.

4. A golf glove according to claim 3 and wherein said thumb stall is truncated, said horizontal strip being connected to the extreme upper end of the truncated thumb stall, the connection extending downwardly from said 7 A golf glove according to claim 6 and includinga W horizontal strip connected" across the first and" second finger stalls and permitting a spacing between said stalls,

said horizontal stripbeing connected across the upper,

ends of saidfirst and second finger stalls so as to permit the fourth finger of the oppositehand' of the user to be inserted between said first and second finger stalls and under said secondhorizontal strip, and additionalfastener elements on said extension means, all off said fastener 7 elements on said extension means being arrangedfin triangular formation, and" a wad of material fixedly com nected within the fourth finger stall and adapted to be met by the fourth finger of the users hand so as to effectively constitute a continuation of said; fourth finger,

in the stall;

References Cited in the file of this patent STATES uso zzr Weile: l -c Sept. .28, 192.6; 2,085, 94. Hay June:15,.1937" pell .--l---,- b;24;19482 2,5 10,2131; Goldsmith. ct a1... ,Jun..e 25Q1

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