Improvements in Gloves.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 188º
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ANNIE MARIA YOUNG, of Thomas Street, Providence,
Rhode Island, Housekeeper, and ABBY ('OLEMAN SMITH, of Corner Beacon and
Park Streets, Somerville, County Middlesex, Massachusetts, Housekeeper, both
of the United States of America.]
Improvements in Gloves.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
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 statement :—
In the drawings accompanying and forming a part, hereof,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved glove on a hand.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pattern of the chief piece used in the manufacture of
the improved glove.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the corresponding piece used in the manufacture of gloves
as now made.
In the manufacture of tight-fitting gloves from kid or other similar material, a large
number of sizes require to be made to suit the requirements of the trade and this
renders it necessary for retail and other dealers to carry very large stocks of gloves.
This might be avoided by lessening the number of sizes, but with the accuracy of fit
now required and the style of gloves as at present made, it is impossible to lessen the
number of sizes and give satisfaction to customers. As at present made, so far as
known to us, tight-fitting gloves, especially ladies' kid gloves, are subjected to great
strain across the hand near the base of the thumb just below the opening in the glove
and this strain very frequently results in starting the glove at that point, that is,
cracking the material or slightly tearing it, while below that point, that is in the palm
of the hand, the same glove will be comparatively slack and will have, if anything,
too much material. This same tightness of the glove across the hand at or near the
base of the thumb, is the cause of considerable loss to glove dealers, inasmuch as
purchasers of gloves frequently insist upon having their gloves fitted to them by the
dealer, and in putting them on they are always stretched at this point, and should
either of the pair of gloves be strained, or be otherwise unsatisfactory, that particular
pair of gloves must be laid aside by the dealer to be sold, if they can be sold at all, at
an inferior price.
The number of gloves thus damaged is often reckoned as high as one pair in every
dozen.
To avoid these objections and produce a glove which may with a less number of
sizes, be fitted to any hand, as also one which may be tried on without danger of
damaging it and which also may be made to fit more accurately around the palm
of the hand than has hitherto been possible, so far as 1 know, are the chief objects of
the invention.
I bave shown the invention as embodied in a ladies' kid glove and I will describe
the same, using letters of reference to the accompanying drawings.
The thumb and fingers of the glove are the same, substantially, as in gloves as now
commonly made, the hand portion of the glove A as also the backs and fronts of the
fingers are, as in kid gloves as at present usually made, formed in one piece. The
shape of said piece when flat and as cut from the material being for the improved
glove of the shape shown Fig. 2 and being for gloves as now commonly made of the
shape shown Fig. 3. It will be noted that the difference between said piece in the
improved glove and the corresponding piece as now used consists in cutting out of
the piece which is used to make the improved glove, a peculiar tapering and substan-
tially lance-shaped portion B extending from a point near the base of the fingers and

page_text: gradually widening past the thumb hole C and extending with substantially parallel
sides toward the opening at the top of the glove. The exact shape of this piece is not
essential' although it cannot be varied substantially in gloves adapted for hands of
normal shape and for kid gloves it is preferably of the shape shown: The shape of the
piece B and the amount of material removed should be such that when the glove is
laced on the hand of the wearer, the two edges of this opening should meet or sub-
stantially meet throughout the whole or nearly the whole length of the opening in
order to present a neat appearance and not show the flesh of the hand. The tapering
piece, which is cut from the pattern of the improved glove, may also be utilized and is
of some slight value so that the first cost of the material is no greater than in gloves
as now made in which none of the material is cut out but only a slit is made as shown
at D, Fig. 3, beginning at a point opposite the thumb hole and extending to the top of
the glove.
In finishing the glove, any of the well-known fastenings may be employed, but I
prefer for the best results, to lace the opening as shown Fig. 1, providing eyelets for
that purpose on either side of the opening, from the lower or finger end thereof to a
point opposite the thumb and lacing studs or hooks from that point to the top of the
glove. These eyelets may of course, be covered and concealed and the sewing and
other features of the glove may be varied as in the various styles of gloves now
made.
By this construction, quarter sizes of gloves may be avoided, the same accuracy of
fit which is now obtained by the manufacture of full, half and quarter sizes being
obtainable in the improved gloves by the manufacture of full and half sizes only. In
this way the stock of gloves now necessarily carried by dealers may be very largely
reduced without producing dissatisfaction among customers. Such a glove, it will be
clear, may also be tried on to the purchaser and its fit ascertained without distorting
or breaking the glove or diminishing its value to a subsequent purchaser.
It is also possible with the improved glove to fit a hand of abnormal shape with
great accuracy by varying the shape of the piece B and thus varying the shape of the
opening. As the back of the hand is the part most difficult as also most desirable to
have the glove fit accurately, the improved glove is particularly adapted to accurately
fit the back of the hand as if at any point there is a slight fullness or looseness, it may
be taken up by the lace. It is also true that the palu being in our glove as it were,
adjustable or capable of being taken up by the lace, a glove of less size may be worn
if made according to the improvement. This feature is important since it materially
cheapens the cost of producing the glove.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
A glove constructed with an opening in the palm portion from near the base of the
fingers to the top, with means for closing the same, said opening being formed by the
removal of a piece of the material, whereby the fullness of the glove in the palin of
the hand is removed and the strain of the material opposite the thumb is obviated,
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 10th day of Sentember 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.