Year: 1899

page_text: I, WILLIAM GRAHAM WOOD, of Number 420, Dolores Street, in the City and
County of San Francisco and State of California, United States of America,
Student, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements made in the construction of boxing
gloves, and the same have for their object, mainly, to permit the hand of the
boxer when it is encased in the glove to be tightly closed or doubled so as to
bring the fingers in the palm and the thumb lying across the fingers the same
as in the position naturally assumed by these members when the bared hand is
clenched for fighting; all the parts of the hand or doubled fist with the glove
on being covered by the padding of the glove in such manner as to protect the
hand and to prevent the blows given by it from injuring the opponent struck
by the boxer.
To these ends and objects the said improvements consist in constructing the
finger-portion of a boxing-glove with a single receptacle for the fingers in
place of the usual separate finger-stalls or divisions. This finger-receptacle
being of proper size to contain the fingers in close relation and contact with one
another, resembles in that respect the form of the ordinary mitten from the
line of the second joints of the fingers down to the ends or tips thereof. Both
the back, or outer side, and the inner side which comes next the palm, has no
padding and the finger-receptacle is practically produced by omitting the padding
from the back of the fingers of the glove from about the line of the second joint
out to the tips excepting from the back of the smallest or outermost finger. On
this last-mentioned part or member the padding over the back and the knuckles
of the glove is continued to the tip of the little finger both on the back and
along the side of that finger so as to cover and protect it effectively by padding
on the side as well as on the back. From this padded portion covering the
fourth finger or little finger the unpadded portion of the finger-receptacle extends
across the back of the remaining three fingers from about the middle of the
second members of the fingers, or below the line of the second joints outward to
the tips, and the unpadded space thus left is of proper dimension of area to
receive across it the padded thumb of the glove and allow that part to lie across
the closed fingers in a bent state tightly clenched over and upon the fingers.
The thumb-stall or thumb-receptacle is padded on the back and sides so as to
fill in or cover the unpadded back of the finger-receptacle when the hand is
clenched with the thumb laid across that receptacle; and thus the necessary
protective padding for the backs of the fingers is supplied by the padding of the
thumb-covering.
This padding on the thumb-portion is carried well over the palm and nearly
to the center line of the palm-portion, so as to protect effectually the body of the
thumb where it joins the palm and also to give stiffness to the thumb and its great
ioint when the hand is encased in the glove.

page_text: The inner side of the thumb-stall is unpadded on that portion which lies
directly against the finger-receptacle when the hand is closed, that portion of the
receptacle being formed of the simple skin or fabric of the glove, the same as the
palm.
In cases where the rules or customs require the tips of the fingers to be
furnished with pads, or cushions on the front or palm-side, they are placed or
formed along the end of the mitten-portion or finger-receptacle on the palm
side, so that in striking with the open hand the boxer cannot give a blow with
the unprotected ends of the fingers and the buffer or cushion in the ends of the
fingers will be interposed to soften the blow.
Another feature of the said improvements consists in a padded wrist-portion,
produced by extending the padding of the glove downward from the body of the
wrist that, in gloves of the class or description to which these improvements
appertain, has heretofore been left uncovered.
For this part of the improvement the padding on the back is continued down over
the wrist with a gradual decrease in thickness and so as to bring the padded-
portion down to the bottom edge of the wrist. This part of the improvement is
designed and applied with a view to stiffen the glove at the wrist and to overcome
any tendency in the gloved-hand to bend or spring out of line with the arm when
striking a hard blow. Such stiffening is carried well around the side of thre
wrist below the thumb, and also on the front of the gauntlet, a sufficient extent
of the unpadded leather being left at that part for the usual slit and the holes
for the lacing.
Datad this 4th dow of January 1899
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improv
I, WILLIAM GRAHAM WOOD, of Number 3648 Nineteenth Street, in the City
and County of San Francisco (formerly of No. 420, Dolores Street, in said City)
and State of California, United States of America, Student, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements made in the construction of boxing
gloves, and the same have for their object, mainly, to permit the hand of the
boxer when it is encased in the glove to be tightly closed or doubled so as to
bring the fingers in the palm and the thumb lying across the fingers the same
as in the position naturally assumed by these members when the bared hand is
clenched for fighting; all the parts of the hand or doubled fist within the glove
being covered by the padding of the glove in such manner as to protect the
hand and to prevent the blows given by it from injuring the opponent struck
by the boxer.
"The features of the said improvements consist in constructing the finger-
portion of the boxing-glove with a single receptacle for the fingers in place
of the usual separate finger-stalls or divisions. This finger-receptacle being of
proper size to contain the fingers in close relation and contact with one another
resembles in that respect the form of the ordinary mitten from the line of the
second joints of the fingers down to the ends or tips thereof. Both the back or

page_text: outer side and the inner side which comes next the palm have no padding, and
the finger-receptacle is practically produced by omitting the padding from the
back of the fingers of the glove from about the line of the second joint out to
the tips, excepting from the back of the smallest or outermost finger. On this
last-mentioned part or member the padding over the back and the knuckles of
the glove is continued to the tip of the fourth finger both on the back and along
the side of that finger, so as to cover and protect it on the side as well as on
the back. From this padded-portion covering the fourth finger the unpadded
portion of the finger-receptacle extends across the back of the remaining three
fingers from about the middle of the second members of the fingers, or below the
line of the second joints outwards to the tips, and the unpadded space thus deft
is of proper dimension or area to receive across it the padded thumb of the glove
and allow that part to lie across the closed fingers in a bent state tightly clenched
over and upon the fingers. In some cases the padding is omitted from the backs
of the third and fourth fingers, so that the before described mitten-portion is.
without padding on the back.
The thumb-stall or thumb-receptacle is padded on the back and sides so as to fill
in or cover the unpadded back of the finger-receptacle when the hand is clenched
with the thumb laid across that receptacle, and thus the necessary protective
padding for the backs of the fingers is supplied by the padding of the thumb-
covering. This padding on the thumb-portion is carried well over the palm and
nearly to the center line of the palm-portion of the glove so as to protect
effectually the body of the thumb where it joins the palm and also to give
stiffness to the thumb and its great joint when the hand is encased in the
glove.
The thumb-stall is unpadded on that portion which lies directly against the
finger-receptacle when the hand is closed, such inner portion of the receptacle
being formed of the simple skin or fabric of the glove the same as the palm.
In cases where the rules or customs require the tips of the fingers to be
furnished with pads, buffers or cushions on the front or palm-side, they are
placed or formed along the end of the mitten-portion or finger-receptacle on the
palm-side of the glove either on the inside or the outside of the finger-receptacle
so that in striking with the open hand the buffer or cushion in the ends of the
fingers will soften the blow.
Another feature of the improvements consists in extending the back-padding
over the side of the hand at the first knuckle and well on to the palm so as to
afford protection to the first knuckle of the hand and the fore-finger.
Another feature of the said improvements consists in a padded wrist-portion
produced by extending the padding of the glove downward from the body over
the wrist that in gloves of the class or description to which these improvements
appertain has heretofore been left uncovered.
In this part of the said improvements the padding on the back is continued
down over the wrist with a gradual decrease in thickness, so as to bring the
padded-portion down to the bottom edge of the wrist-portion of the glove. This
part of the improvement is applied with a view to stiffen the glove at the wrist
and to overcome any tendency in the gloved-hand to bend or spring out of line
with the arm when striking a hard blow. Such stiffening is carried well around
the side of the wrist below the thumb, and also on the front of the gauntlet, a
sufficient extent of the unpadded leather being left at that part for the usua! slit
and the holes for the lacing.
In the accompanying drawing herein referred to by figures and letters, and
forming part of this specification:-
--
Figure 1 is a front-view of a glove embodying my said improvements; Figure 2
is a view taken from the side of the glove, showing the glove tightly closed and
with the hand in fighting position Figure 3 is a view taken from the opposite
side of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal-sectional view.
The novel features of my present improvements comprise a construction of
glove having in place of the usual separate finger-stalls or receptacles a single™

page_text: finger-receptacle C without divisions and of proper size to receive and contain
the fingers in close relation or contact, in which respect the receptacle. from above
the line of the second joints of the finger down to the tips or ends resembles the
ordinary mitten. This mitten-portion is without padding on the outer side or
back C as well as on the inner side which comes next to the palm, and the
portion that is without padding on the back is of proper extent to receive the
padded thumb of the glove when the hand is closed in the glove. This unpadded
portion on the end of the glove is best formed or produced by omitting. the
padding from the back of all the fingers excepting the fourth finger and con-
tinuing the padding of the back and the side of the body over. that portion. of
the mitten provided for the fourth finger. On this portion the padding of the
body is carried over the back and the outer side of the third and fourth fingers
so as to cover those parts or surfaces and furnish protection upon the side of the
hand as well as on the back. In some cases, however, this back-padding Cover
the third and fourth fingers is omitted, so that the mitten-portion is without
padding on the back.
"...
The unpadded mitten-portion C thus produced by the removal of the padding
usually extends from about the middle of the second members of the fingers
outwardly to the tips or ends of the fingers; and it is of proper dimensions or
area to receive the thumb of the glove and allow it to lie across the closed fingers
in a bent state tightly clenched upon the fingers.
The stall or covering for the thumb is padded on the back and sides D¹ so as
to properly fill up the unpadded space on the mitten or finger-receptacle on which
the thumb-covering lies when the hand is clenched, thereby furnishing the
necessary amount of protective padding for the backs of the fingers, but the
padding is usually omitted from the inner side D2 of the thumb.
The front of the thumb-stall and the part of the thumb joining the palm are
padded as usual, but in this improved construction the padding is carried well
over upon the front and nearly to the center line of the palm and is continued
also downwardly over and below the wrist to the edge of the wrist-portion of
the glove, as shown at A³, Figures 1 and 3. The padding is thus placed to
afford complete protection to the body of the thumb and the wrist below it,
which is sometimes exposed to extraordinary strains as in giving a swinging
blow. In addition to this function of protecting the wrist the padded extension
of the thumb is made to contribute materially to the stiffness and rigidity of
the wrist by being formed continuously with the padded wrist-portion that lies
over the back of the wrist.
This last-mentioned feature to give stiffness and rigidity to the wrist-joint
when the glove is laced on the hand is produced by extending the padding of
the back A of the glove-body over the wrist A without a break and carrying this
padding in a gradual slope A2 from the thickest portion of the back downward
to the bottom edge of the glove, and also around the sides of the wrist in a
continuous manner well to the front, sufficient unpadded portions being left on
the palm to take the lacing-holes.
The effect of this construction is to impart a high degree of rigidity to the
glove at the wrist-joint, whereby the gloved hand will withstand extraordinary
blows without bending either forward or backward. The back-padding is
extended also over the side of the hand at the first knuckle or from a to y
Figures 1 and 2, and well on to the palm, as shown at A+, so as to afford complete
protection to the first knuckle of the hand. Between the two points .ry the seam
that unites the back A to the palm B is carried in a curve on to the palm so as to
produce the thicker padding A directly upon and against the side of the
knuckle which is exposed when the thumb is closed over the clenched fingers.
The tips of the fingers are usually protected by a pad or cushion E properly
formed to cover the extreme ends of the finger-receptacle, and in some cases a
thick lining of felt F is inserted within the receptacle and confined by stitches
as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing.

page_text: 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:-
1: A boxing-glove having an unpadded recess in the padded body located
directly over the back of the fingers and adapted to take the padded thumb-stall
and allow the thumb to be tightly closed across the fingers; and a padded thumb-
stall having an unpadded mner side portion next the palm, substantially as
described.
2: A boxing-glove comprising a padded body adapted to cover the back and
the knuckles of the hand; an unpadded mitten-portion adapted to receive the
end-portions of the fingers, said finger-receptacles having a padded covering on
the outer side adapted to cover the back and side of the little finger; and a padded
thumb-stall which is constructed to lie against and close tightly upon the
unpadded back of the finger-receptacle across the fingers as described.
3: A boxing-glove comprising a padded body a padded wrist-portion an
unpadded finger-receptacle at the end of the padded body adapted to contain the
fingers of the hand and a thumb-stall having a padded back and sides and an
unpadded portion next the palm adapted to let the thumb lie closely against the
back of the finger-receptacle and across the fingers, the padded portion forming a
protection for the back of the fingers when the hand is incased and clenched in
the glove as described.
4: A boxing-glove having a padded body and a padded wrist-portion produced
by an unbroken continuation of the body-padding over the wrist to the bottom
edge of the glove upon the back and the sides of the wrist as described.
5: A boxing-glove having a thumb-receptacle padded on the back and on
the side next the palm, said padding extending continuously downward over the
wrist-joint as described.
6: A boxing-glove having a padded back and an extension of said padding
over the side of the hand into the palm, said extension being adapted to protect
the side of the knuckle of the fore-finger when the hand is closed as described.
7-A boxing-glove having a padded back and an unpadded finger-receptacle
with an interlining of felt to protect the finger-tips as described and shown.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.