New or Improved Glove or Appliance to be Worn on the Hand for Swimming or Bathing Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: New or Improved Glove or Appliance to be Worn on the Hand
for Swimming or Bathing Purposes.
I, ALEXANDER DAY of Heathcote, Washwood Heath Road Saltley near Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, 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 :-
In the act of swimming, a person has to bring together, or close the fingers and
thumb, in order to present with the palm of the hand, a continuous and unbroken
surface, by which means the said person is able to move progressively through the
water.
The object of my said invention is to increase the power of swimming, or to greatly
assist an unskilled person in the art; and this I do, by providing a swimmer or an
intended swimmer, with webbed gloves or mits, made as hereinafter described, so that
when swimming, the fingers and thumb of each hand are distended or spread out,
thereby increasing the superficial area or presenting a broad front to the hands; by
which means, a person is able to swim, with the greatest ease, or a person kept afloat,
on being accidentally or otherwise thrown into water.
My invention consists of a glove, having the fingers and thumb united by a web or
membrane, like that of the web of the foot of an aquatic fowl; that is, each finger,
and the fore finger and thumb of a glove, are united, or connected together by a web
or tissue, which admits of the fingers and thumb, being opened out and closed, like
the webbed foot of an ordinary water-fowl.
The webs or fins, may either be made with the glove, or attached to the glove, by
sewing or otherwise.
Instead of employing a glove, I take a continuous web or membrane, of a area
equal to the entire front of a hand, when the fingers and thumb are distended or
opened out, and which said continuous web, is secured to the respective fingers and
thumb, by loops, rings or stalls, while it is attached to the wrist by a buckle or other
strap.
In addition to the glove, webs or fins may be disposed or extended from the hands
or wrists, and running under the undersides of the arms, down the side, and terminating
at or about the hips.
In these last named modifications, I prefer that the webs should be made in
connection with a shirt or garment, although they may be attached by straps or
otherwise.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a webbed glove, made according to my invention; and which
said glove, is shown in front elevation, and with the webbed or membrane like
connections between them, distended.
a is a glove, with fingers and thumb b, which are united, or connected by webs, or
membrane like tissues which admit of the fingers and thumb being opened out and

page_text: closed; and when opened out, presents a broad and extended surface, by means of
which, a person in swimming, is greatly assisted; and further, if a person be thrown
into water, they are capable of keeping themselves afloat, by a paddling action, as
the webbed connections of the fingers and thumb, present a broad and unbroken
surface.
The glove may be connected to the wrist, either by buttoning, or by a strap or other
connection.
The webs may be woven or made with the gloves, or they may be made separate
and connected between the fingers and thumb of a glove; and which webs or webbed
parts, may be made of a thin membrane like tissue, or of very thin india rubber or
the like.
Figure 2 represents another form of my invention, which consists of a continuous
web, fabric or membrane c, of an area about equal to the entire front of the hand,
when the thumb and fingers are distended or opened out; and connected to the upper
part or parts, of this extended filament or tissue, finger and thumb stalls b, are secured,
connected or made with the filament; while the lower or wrist part has in connection
with it, a strap d, which is fastened and buckled around the wrist.
Or instead of thumb stalls, finger and thumb loops may be substituted, which may
be slipped upon both the tips, and the shanks of the fingers. In this case, only
connecting webs between the loops are employed.
Figure 3 represents another form of my invention, in which webs or pins are
disposed, or extended from the hands or wrist, and passing along or upon the under-
sides of the arms, down the sides, and from thence terminating at or about the hips.
c is a web or fin, connected at one part to the wrist, by a wrist strap a, or to a
webbed glove a²; and at the arm end, by a buckle or other strap, or loop d, and to
the waist, by a buckle strap or band e.
Thus the connection of each web or fin, is effected by bands or straps, at three or
more points.
Or the fin like webs, may be woven to, or attached to a shirt or garment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. A webbed glove, or a glove with webbed or membraned like connections,
made with, or secured to, and disposed between the adjacent fingers and thumb,
substantially as and for the purpose as herein-described and set forth in figure 1.
Secondly. In a swimming glove, or an appliance to be used upon the hands by
swimmers, consisting of an extended web or filament c, (of an area about equal to
the entire front of a hand, when the fingers and thumb are distended or opened out)
finger and thumb tips, stalls or loops b, and wrist band d, substantially as described
and set forth in figure 3.
Thirdly An appliance to be used by swimmers, as herein described and illustrated
in figure 3 of the accompanying drawing; that is to say, a means consisting of a
web c, connecting straps or loops a, d and e as set forth.
Fourthly. Providing shirts or like garments, with webbed or fin like filaments,
extending under the arms, down the sides of the body, to the hips, or thereabouts,
substantially as described.