Improvements in Gloves.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1892-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1892
Improvements in Gloves.
I, FREDERICK SIMPSON, of 48 Temple Place, Boston, in the County of Suffolk,
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has reference to a new and improved application of the well known
principle that copper and zinc, when connected and provided with an electrolytic
medium, will cause a current of electricity to pass from the one element to the other
through the medium,. and it has for its object to apply said principle to gloves,
mittens, or other hand wear, and to this end to provide copper and zinc contacts on
the respective fastening edges of such gloves or mittens, whereby when the said
edges are abutted or fastened such contacts will bear against the flesh and an electric
fluid be generated which will be applied directly to the inner side of the wrist at a
point where, as it is well known, the system can be readily acted upon and the most
beneficial result attained.
My invention consists in providing at each edge of the slit where the glove is
opened to receive the hand, a strip of copper and a strip of zinc, or, if desired, a
series of pieces of the respective metals, and connecting the same with a suitable
electric conductor. These strips or contacts may be of any suitable form; for
instance, I may compose them of copper and zinc wire netting or gauze to permit
greater flexibility.
The strips or elements are secured to the glove preferably by the fastenings by
which the edges are held together. A cloth binding of suitable material encloses
the elements to prevent wear of the glove against the wire gauze or strip, the
portion of the binding adjacent to the flesh having cut out portions to permit
contact of the metal with the flesh of the wrist.
In the drawings I have shown several forms which embody the principles of my
invention, although it is obvious that I am not confined to the precise construction
therein shown.
Figure 1 shows a glove with the elements of wire gauze or netting:
Figure 2, the elements in the form of strips and
Figure 3, a plurality of copper and zinc pieces.
which
The glove a, having the customary division b, is provided with the copper and
zinc elements ce placed substantially parallel with and near to the edges of
opening b. The elements are connected by suitable electric conductors
may be wires or other flexible connections. A binding d, of any suitable material
surrounds these elements, but is cut away, as at f, to permit contact of the
elements ce with the flesh.
In Figure 3 I have shown the elements as consisting of a plurality of contact
pieces c', connected as shown, copper on one side and zinc on the other, which will
give greater flexibility and in some instances may be used to advantage.
It will be unnecessary to herein set forth the beneficial effects of electric currents
upon the human system, as such are well understood by those familiar with the
art to which this invention relates, the operation of the device also being apparent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The improvement in gloves or other hand wear, consisting of two dissimilar
metals, such as conner and zinc secured to the inner curface of the ...

page_text: connection between the same whereby, when the glove or other like article is upon
'the hand, the metals will be in contact with the flesh of the wearer and electric
action established, substantially as described.
2. In a glove or like article of hand wear, wire gauze strips or plates of copper
and zinc secured therein near the edges of the slit or opening for the hand, a con-
nection of some electric conducting material, a suitable binding for the said metals,
and suitable openings in said binding to permit contact of the metals with the flesh,
substantially as described.
3. The combination, in gloves or other hand wear, of copper and zinc elements c¹ e³,
and connections g whereby the contact of the said elements with the flesh will
produce currents of electricity, substantially as described.
FREDERICK SIMPSON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.