Use of Batsmen in Playing the Game of Cricket.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Dec., 1888
Use of Batsmen in Playing the Game of Cricket.
I, HARRY HAYLEY, of No. 1, Marygate, Wakefield, in the County of York,
Athletic Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or relating to hand guards or protectors
for the use of batsmen in playing the game of cricket, whereby greater freedom of the
hand is obtained than when using the ordinary batting gloves.
According to this invention I take four pieces of india rubber tubing (such as is
usually used for batting gloves) of such a length as will protect the fingers and back
of the hand, and fix them (either in the course of manufacture, or afterwards by
cement) to two or more strips or bands of india rubber or other material. The four
pieces of tubing are fixed in such a manner that each piece may pass down one of the
fingers onto the back of the hand towards the wrist, and the pieces are connected
together by the strips being placed horizontally across them at a suitable distance
apart so as to leave a space for ventilating purposes.
To the inside of each strip is threaded or otherwise fixed a band of elastic or other
material so as to form one or more loops for the reception of the fingers. These loops
are preferably so arranged that for the right hand, two loops may be provided on the
top strip for the first and fourth fingers, and two more may be provided on the lower
strip for the second and third fingers, whilst for the left hand the tubing is prolonged
so as to cover the wrist and is held in position by means of a broad elastic loop which
encircles the wrist. One or more loops may also be provided on the top strip of the
left hand guard for the finger or fingers.
In order to protect the thumb of the right hand without providing a special pocket
or cavity for its reception, one side of the guard or protector is provided with a
projection on which is fixed a piece of tubing in such a manner that when the hand is
closed for holding the bat handle the thumb will be shielded.
To better adapt the guards to the shape of the hands, the tips or finger portions
thereof may be slightly curved.
Dated this Twentieth dow of January 1888
W. FAIRBURN HART,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Hand-guards or Protectors for the
Use of Batsmen in Playing the Game of Cricket.
1, HARRY HAYLEY, of No. 1, Marygate, Wakefield, in the County of York,
Athletic Outfitter, 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 in or relating to hand-guards or protectors
for the use of batsmen in playing the game of cricket, whereby greater freedom of the
hand is obtained than when using the ordinary batting gloves.
In the drawings
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a front and back elevation of an open hand with a
guard or protector constructed according to this invention (for the left hand) attached
thereto.
Fig. 3. shows the form or shape of the same guard or protector when removed from
the hand.
Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively an enlarged transverse section of the guard or
protector on line x, x, fig. 2, and a part elevation of tubing employed for protecting
the hand.
Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a back and enlarged front front elevations of an open
hand with a guard or protector (right hand) attached thereto.
Fig. 8 shows the guards protecting the hands when grasping a bat handle.
Like parts in all the views are marked with the same letters of reference.
A, A1, A2, A3 are the four pieces of india rubber or other elastic tubing which are
preferably made in the shape or configuration and corrugated as shown in the
drawings, but any other suitable shape may be employed. These pieces of tubing are
bent or curved into shape longitudinally as shown at Fig. 3. so as to conform as near
as possible to the shape the hands will assume when grasping the handle of a bat as
shown at Fig. 8, and they are also fixed by cement-either in the course of
manufacture or afterwards-to a suitable backing B, which may either consist of two
or more bands or strips of sheet india rubber or india rubber sheeting placed hori-
zontally across the tubing at suitable distances apart so as to leave room for ventilating
purposes, or they may be mounted upon and attached to a single piece of sheet india
rubber, or india rubber sheeting large enough to cover the back of the hand and a
part of the wrist when the guard is used for the left hand as shown at Fig. 2, or only
a portion of the back of the hand when used for the right hand as shown at Fig. 6.
When the latter kind of backing B is employed it may or may not be divided between
the fingers along the lines b. Each piece of tubing is made to pass down one of the
fingers, as shown at Figs. 2, 3, 6, and 8 towards the wrist; but in practice, on the left
hand guard, I form the tubing that passes down the two outer fingers of one piece of
tubing, and bend it round at or near the wrist, as shown at a Fig. 2, 3, and 8, so as to
form an additional protection for the back of the hand and wrist which is the most
exposed to the cricket ball.

page_text: To the inside of the material forming the backing B may be sewn, threaded, or
otherwise fixed one or more bands, or pieces of wash leather or other elastic or suitable
material so as to form loops C as shown at Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 for the left hand guard;
or pockets C as shown at Fig. 7 for the right hand guard. Through or into two or
more of these loops or pockets are passed the fingers of the player's hands as shown in
the drawings. And in order to hold the left hand guard more firmly in position it is
provided with a broad elastic loop D which encircles the wrist as shown at Fig. 1.
But when the pieces of tubing are mounted upon transverse strips the loops for the
fingers may be arranged as follows:-two loops may be provided on the top strip for
the first and fourth fingers, and two more may be provided on the lower strip for the
second and third fingers.
In order to protect the thumb of the right hand, when grasping the bat handle,
without providing a special pocket for its reception, the fore finger portion of the
guard is provided with a projection E on which is mounted a piece of tubing as shown
at Fig. 6. so that when the hand is closed for holding the bat handle the thumb will
be shielded as shown at Fig. 8.
In conclusion I would have it understood that I am aware that guards or protectors
have been previously made with transverse corrugations and large loops at the upper
and lower ends for attaching them to the bat handle so as to permit the batsman's
hands to pass between the shields and the handle of the cricket bat, but to these I
lay no claim, nor do I broadly claim the use of batting gloves or guards armed with
india rubber tubing.
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
The improved hand guards or protectors for batsmen in the game of cricket,
consisting of one or more transverse strips or a backing such as B, armed with pieces
of bent or curved india rubber or other flexible tubing such A, A1, A2, A3, and F,
arranged to pass down the fingers to the wrists and on a projection such as E,
said backing being also provided with loops such as C, and pockets such as C¹ for the
reception of the fingers, and a wrist band such as D, all substantially as described and
for the purposes specified.
Dated thia Ninationth day of October 1888