US3421160A - Bowling glove - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1969 s. DOMENICO BOWLING GLOVE Filed Aug. 14, 19s? IN VENTOR. S'QLVQTORE DOMElU/CO QH SM 14 TTOR/UEX United States Patent 3,421,160 BOWLING GLOVE Salvatore Domenico, 6701 SW. 75th Terrace, South Miami, Fla. 33143 Filed Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,257 US. Cl. 2-159 Int. Cl. A41d 19/00 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to bowling, and is directed particularly to improvements in bowling gloves of the type used as an aid in achieving a better grip on the ball for improved control during its delivery in bowling.

Bowling gloves of one kind or another, including a resilient filler member in the palm of the glove to fill in the space between the palm and the ball for better gripping and control of the ball during its delivery, are known.

Such bowling gloves as have heretofore been devised, however, are deficient in various respects, as a consequence of which they have enjoyed only limited acceptance by the bowling public. Principal among these deficiencies are their complexity, their high cost, and, more particularly, their lack of adjustability to fit the wide range of differences in hand size, shape, and grip of a bowling ball among bowlers.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified bowling glove of the character described wherein the filler member in the palm of the glove is not only readily controllable as to size and shape, but, also, is universally adjustable as to its position in the palm of the glove for best fit to the individual requirements of any individual bowler.

A more particular object is to provide a bowling glove of the above nature where the filler member is removably attached to the palm area of the glove by pressuresensitive means, thereby not only permitting universally adjustable positioning thereof, but, also, permitting the selective use of one of a plurality of filler members of ditferent sizes and shapes which can be supplied with the glove at only slightly increased cost to effect even more precise fitting to the personal needs of any bowler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bowling glove of the character described which will be selfadjusting both with respect to finger size and wrist size.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is an inside view of a bowling glove embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of one form of filler member, as seen from the bottom thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top oblique view of the filler member shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top oblique view of an alternative form of filler member; and

FIG. 5 illustrates the bowling glove fitted to the hand of a bowler.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates an improved bowling glove embodying the invention, the same comprising generally, a glove palm portion 11 integrally formed at one end with laterally-opposed wristband portions 12, 13 and provided at the opposite or finger end with a plurality, three in the embodiment illustrated, of elastic loop members 14, 15, and 16 for holding the upper end of said glove against the palm of the hand as is hereinafter more particularly described. The glove palm portion 11 and its integral wristband portions 12 and 13 may be made of any tough, pliable fabric or leather, but is preferably made of a pliable and somewhat resilient or stretchable material such as a heavy sheet vinyl.

Means is provided for adjustably and releasably securing the wristband portions 12, 13 about the wrist of the wearer to secure the lower or wrist end of the bowling glove in position against the palm of the hand as can be seen in FIG. 5. To this end, pressure-sensitive adhesive means is utilized, said adhesive means preferably comprising cooperating strips of woven Nylon fabric having different physical characteristics and which adhere tenaciously to each other when pressed together. Such strips are sold under the trade name Velcro by American Thread Company, New York, NY. and Chicago, 111. One of the Velcro strips has a soft, Wool-like surface and is termed the fleecy strip. The other strip has a comparatively rough and hard surface comprising rows of loop hooks extending outwardly of the fabric body or the base of the strip and is termed the burr strip.

In FIG. 1 it Will be seen that the fleecy strip 17 is secured, as by the use of a suitable adhesive or as by sewing, against the outer end of the wristband portion 12 at the inside thereof, and that the burr strip 18 is similarly secured at the outer end of the wristband portion 13 at the outside thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 5, in securing the bowling glove to the hand, the wristband portion 12 will first be wrapped around the outside of the wrist, after which the wristband portion 13 will be brought around the opposite side of the wrist with the outer end thereof in overlying relation with respect to said first wristband portion 12 so that the burr strip 18 is brought down into contact with the fleecy strip 17 and pressed thereagainst to secure said wristband portions in embracing relations about the wrist. It will be understood that the above-described wrist attachment device not only permits quick and easy securement of the bowling glove to the hand, but is also self-adjusting to the wrist size of the user.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper or finger end of the glove palm portion 11 is formed along its outer end with a pair of arcuate recesses or bights 19, 20 defining, at each side, short finger extension portions 21, 22, respectively, and a central comparatively wide finger portion 23. Sewn or Otherwise secured to the finger extension portions 21, 22 and 23 of the glove palm portion 11 are the loops of elastic 14, 15, and 16, respectively, which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, extend to the back for receiving the fingers of the hand in wearing the glove. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, the middle elastic loop 16 is wide enough to receive the two central fingers, while the end loops 14, 15 are adapted to receive the little finger and forefinger, respectively. It will be understood that the elasticity or resiliency of the elastic finger loops 14, 15, and 16 is sufiicient to automatically adjust to the finger size of the wearer for secure attachment of the upper or outer end of the bowling glove to the hand.

A salient feature of my invention resides in the provision of means for universally adjustably positioning a filler member 25 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), to a central zone of the glove palm portion 11. To this end, a patch of the above-described Velcro material 24, which may be the so-called fieecy strip, for example, is sewn or otherwise secured as by an adhesive, against the outside of the glove palm portion 11. The patch 24 is preferably square or rectangular in shape and large enough to cover the greater part of the palm portion 11, as is best illustrated in FIG. 5. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the filler member 25, which may be wedge-shaped, for example, as illustrated, and which is preferably made of a firm sponge rubber, was secured against its underside, as by use of an adhesive, a cooperative Velcro strip, in this instance a burr strip 26. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the Velcro patch 24 is large enough to permit the filler member 25 to be secured against the glove palm portion 11 in a wide variety of positions, not only with respect to its circular orientation in the palm but, also, in its longitudinal and lateral disposition.

In use, after the glove is fitted to the hand as described above and as illustrated in FIG. 5, the filler member or pad 25 will be secured in the desired position in the palm of the glove to fill in the empty space between the bowlers hand and the bowling ball. It will be understood that the filler member can readily be readjusted to the needs of any particular bowler to give the best grip with respect to the size of his hand, his hold on the bowling ball, and control during his release in delivery.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form of the invention wherein the outer face of a generally wedge-shaped filler member 27 is arcuately recessed from end to end, as indicated at 28, to better conform to the curvature of a bowling ball. It will be understood that the underside of the filler member 27 will have afiixed thereto a Velcro burr strip (not illustrated) for adjustable pressure-sensitive attachment to the fleecy patch 24 of the glove palm portion 11 when used selectively in place of the above-described filler member 25. While I have illustrated and described herein only two different forms of filler members, it will be understood that other filler members of various shapes and sizes could be provided with the bowling glove for selective use to meet any particular requirements that a bowler might have.

An important advantage of my improved bowling glove resides in its simplicity, its wide adjustability, both with respect to its fit to the bowlers hand and the positioning of the filler member, and the comparative freedom of the hand when using the glove as compared with bowling gloves of the type heretofore devised. In this connection it is to be noted that restriction of the two middle fingers, since they fit together through the central loop member 16, is kept to a minimum for comfort and freedom in gripping the bowling ball.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one basic form in which my invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is presented by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bowling glove comprising, in combination, a flexible, palm-shaped panel member adapted to fit against the palm of the hand, means at one end of said panel member for its attachment to the fingers of the hand, means at the other end of said panel member for its attachment to the wrist of the hand, a resilient filler member, and releasable means for rotatively and laterally adjustably positioning said filler member against the outside of said panel member.

2. A bowling glove as defined in claim 1 wherein said finger attachment means comprises three elastic loops spaced along the upper end of said one end of said panel member, the two end loops being for the reception of the little and forefinger, respectively, of the hand, and the middle loop being of comparatively greater width for the reception of the two middle fingers.

3. A bowling glove as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasable means for positioning said filler member against the outside of said panel member comprises pressuresensitive adhesive means.

4. A bowling glove as defined in claim 2 wherein said releasable means for positioning said filler member against the outside of said panel member comprises pressure-sensitive adhesive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,680 5/1962 Compiano 2159 3,123,832 3/1964 Kubik 2161 3,217,332 11/1965 Gross 216 3,238,939 3/1966 Stubbs 216 X 3,256,882 6/1966 Huber 2-16 X 3,274,616 9/1966 Russo 2-16 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,013,381 12/1965 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 273-54

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