Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1897
Complate Spanification Loft 12th Sant 1800 Accented 15th Oct
1898
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements made in the construction of
boxing-gloves, and to the production of an improved glove for boxing having
several advantages over gloves of this class or description heretofore made. The
same have for their object to furnish complete protection to the thumb and
wrist of the boxer, to allow the thumb to be closed within the hand and over
the fingers in the position nearly or quite approaching that which it assumes
in the closed fist when the bare hand is doubled up, and to secure a close and
stiff connection of the glove with the wrist of the boxer.
The nature of the said improvements consists in constructing the body of a
boxing-glove with a padded web or continuous portion extending from the side
or edge of the fore-finger of the glove downward to the first joint of the thumb
and across the space or opening enclosed between the fore-finger and the palm
when the fingers are in a bent or doubled state in such manner that the said
padded closure or web-portion bridges or closes the opening aforesaid and
thoroughly protects the side of the hand when the fist is doubled in position
for boxing.
The improvements consist also in providing in the padded portion of the glove
between the back and the palm and over the finger-receptacles a special pocket
or receptacle for the thumb and in connection therewith forming the thumb-
stall or thumb-covering with an unpadded tip and end-portion and a padded
lower portion joining the palm or body of the glove; the said unpadded portion
of the thumb-stall being adapted to fit into the aforesaid pocket or receptacle
in the body of the glove so as to be protected by the padding of the body, while
the padded portion of the thumb-stall covers and protects the lower member
of the thumb and the hand below the joints thereof; also in carrying the
padding of the back of the glove down over the wrist to the bottom for the pur-
pose of effectively protecting the wrist of the boxer and giving a close and stiff
connection of the glove with the wrist of the boxer.
The said improvements include also the production of a boxing glove by the
combination and incorporation of the aforesaid parts or features in its structure.
Dated the 12th November 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.

page_text: .
Improvements in Boxing Gloves.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 state-
ment:.
-
"
This invention relates to certain improvements made in the construction of
boxing-gloves, and to the production of an improved glove for boxing having
several advantages over gloves of this class or description heretofore made. The
same have for their object to furnish complete protection to the thumb and
wrist of the boxer, to allow the thumb to be closed within the hand and over
the fingers in the position nearly or quite approaching that which it assumes
in the closed fist when the bare hand is doubled up, and to secure a close and
stiff connection of the glove with the wrist of the boxer.
The nature of the said improvements consists in constructing the body of a
boxing-glove with a padded web or continuous portion extending from the side
or edge of the fore-finger of the glove downward to the first joint of the thumb
and across the space or opening enclosed between the fore-finger and the palm
when the fingers are in a bent or doubled state in such manner that the said
padded closure or web-portion bridges or closes the opening aforesaid and
thoroughly protects the side of the hand when the fist is doubled in position
for boxing.
The improvements consist also in providing in the padded portion of the glove
between the back and the palm and over the finger-receptacles a special pocket
or receptacle for the thumb and in connection therewith forming the thumb-
stall or thumb-covering with an unpadded tip and end-portion and a padded
lower portion joining the palm or body of the glove; the said unpadded portion
of the thumb-stall being adapted to fit into the aforesaid pocket or receptacle
in the body of the glove so as to be protected by the padding of the body, while
the padded portion of the thumb-stall covers and protects the lower member
of the thumb and the hand below the joints thereof; also in carrying the
padding of the back of the glove down over the wrist to the bottom for the pur-
pose of effectively protecting the wrist of the boxer and giving a close and stiff
connection of the glove with the wrist of the boxer.
The said improvements include also the production of a boxing glove by the
combination and incorporation of the aforesaid parts or features in its structure.
The manner in which I proceed to apply the same in the construction of a
boxing glove is explained at length in the following description, in which the
accompanying drawing forming part of this specification is referred to by figures
and letters: :-
In the said drawing:
:-
Figure 1 is a perspective-view of a right-hand glove embodying my said im-
provements, showing the glove in side-view, with the approximate positions
of the fingers and thumb of the hand indicated by dotted lines; Figure 2 is
a perspective view showing the opposite side of the glove; Figure 3 is a front
view of the glove with the palm open and the thumb withdrawn from the
receptacle in the top of the glove. Figure 4 is a side-view of the glove taken
from the right-hand side of Figure 3.
A indicates the back of the glove; A¹ the palm; B B the thumb, and C C the
fingers.
is the pocket or receptacle for the tip or end-portion of the thumb.

page_text: In the present improvements in boxing gloves the thumb of the glove is
formed of a padded portion B to cover the first joint and lower part of the
thumb, and of an unpadded stall or end-portion B₁ to receive and cover the
tip and portion of the thumb above the principal joint. The padded and un-
padded parts B B₁ are united just above the first joint 6 of the thumb, and the
padded portion is carried laterally across the front of the palm nearly or quite
to the line of the laced opening A2 in the front. This construction differs also
from previous gloves of this class in having the thumb placed more nearly on
the palm instead of at the side of the hand. The padding is carried down also
to the wrist of the glove as shown at 62 to fully cover and protect the whole of
the lower member of the thumb.
The pocket or receptacle D to admit the unpadded portion of the thumb is
formed in the top end of the glove between the fingers and the padding on
the back, as illustrated in Figure 3. This receptacle lies over the receptacles C
for the fingers and is of proper length or depth to take in the thumb B and
allow the thumb to lie over the fingers when the hand is closed in a doubled
state. Thus when the thumb is inserted in this pocket with the hand doubled
up it can be brought nearly or quite into the natural position the same as in the
clenched bare hand. In this position the thumb is folded closely inward against
the palm as well as the fingers and there is no danger of receiving a blow on the
end of the thumb or of bringing the thumb into such a position at the side of
the palm that the thumb could strike end on or perpendicularly in contact with
the surface struck.
The unpadded portion of the thumb-stall allows freedom of movement and
enables the end-portion of the thumb to be readily bent and inserted in the
pocket D. The padding is carried from the back around the first joint of
the thumb and over the palm so as to effectively protect the great joint of the
thumb and the side of the hand below that joint.
The closure or padded extension of the back E uniting the side of the glove
along the fore-finger with the back or body of the glove, which I have herein
termed the web-portion, is formed by carrying the covering of the body of the glove
from the outer side of the fore-finger downwards and across the space or opening
that exists between the palm and the bent or partially closed fingers when the
hand is doubled up. This web-portion is a continuation or extension of the
padding from the back of the glove and is arranged to cover and protect the side
of the hand and the thumb at the first joint. It is advisable to avoid seams in
those portions of the surface of the glove that will come in contact with a person
struck in boxing and to that end the aforesaid web-portion should be formed
integral with the covering of the back.
Instead of continuing the covering and padding entirely over the side and
uniting it with the end of the glove at the side of the fore-finger, as represented
in Figure 1, I sometimes carry the padding of the back around the side of the
hand only to the palm and stop it at about the points ar Figure 3, in which
form or modification the finger-portion of the glove can be opened outward and
brought more nearly to an extended portion thereby allowing the boxer to open
his gloved hand and grasp a portion of his opponent's body.
The construction illustrated in Figure 1 having the web-portion on the side
of the glove is well adapted for a boxing-glove, while the modification shown
in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing is better adapted for a fighting glove in those
contests where the rules allow clinching.
That feature of my present improvement which has for its object to overcome
the tendency of the bulky padded portion on the back to work loosely upon the
wrist of the boxer at the line where the thin unpadded wrist-portion joins the
padding of the back, and to stiffen the glove at such point, consists in con-
tinuing the padding of the back below that point and extending it down to
the bottom of the wrist with a gradually decrease in thickness as illustrated
in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawing.

page_text: This extension a² is usually carried down to the side seams and is omitted
on the front of the wrist to provide flexible flaps for the lacing-holes on the
margins of the opening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
-
1: A boxing-glove comprising in its structure a padded web or closure uniting
the side of the forefinger with the back, said closure being formed integrally
with the back of the glove but unattached to the palm along the lower edge,
and adapted to admit the thumb under it, and a thumbstall or covering com-
posed of a padded main portion and an unpadded tip, as described.
2: A boxing-glove having a stall or covering for the thumb composed of
a padded main portion joining the body and palm of the glove and an unpadded
tip to receive the end of the thumb, and a pocket or receptacle within the body
of the glove between the padding of the back and the finger-receptacles adapted
to admit the said unpadded covering and allow the thumb to lie across the fingers
in a bent position, as described.
1011 1
2
1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.