Feb. 6, 1968 M. W.

SRAEL 3,366,973
GLOWE CONSTRUCTION
Filed Aug. 18, 1965 3. Sheets-Sheet, l

FG, 4

NVENTOR
MLTON W, ISRAEL

ATTORNEYS
Feb. 6, 1968 M. W. SRAE 3,366,973
GLOVE CONSTRUCTION
Filed Aug. l8, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2

NVENTOR
MILTON W, ISRAE

2-2,4 f4.2% AT TORNEYS

Feb. 6, 1968 M. W. SRAEL 3,366,973
GLOVE CONSTRUCTION
Filed Aug. l8, l965 3. Sheets-Sheet 3

MY128 136
VY

NVENTOR
MILTON W, ISRAEL

56 5 44%.4-4/
AT TORNEYS
 United States Patent Office
1.
3,366,973
GLOVE CONSTRUCTION
Milton W. Israel, University City, Mo., assignor to
Angelica Uniform Company, St. Louis, Mo., a cor
poration of Missouri
Fied Aug. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 480,556
5 Claims. (C. 2-169)
This invention relates generally to the glove art, and
more particularly to improvements in resiliently ex
pansible gloves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved stretch-type glove having elongation character
istics adapted to accommodate hands of different size and
adjust to various finger lengths.
Another object is to provide a novel glove construc
tion to provide a Snug, but non-binding fit, and eliminat
ing the need for using the fourchette or kyle to achieve
such a fit.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stretch
type glove formed from a novel pattern eliminating the
need for a seam at the finger tips thereby reducing bulk
in the finger portions and increasing the comfort and sen
sitivity of the fingers.
Another object is to provide a glove in which the en
tire body portion may be formed as a unitary blank
and folded upon itself for stitching, and in which a sepa
rate thumb portion is formed as a unitary blank and
inset into the body portion.
Another object is to provide a novel glove requiring
a minimum of stitching and having no objectionable
bulk or seams.
A further object is to provide a novel, inexpensive,
stretch-type fabric glove particularly adapted for use as
a protective hand covering for "clean room' conditions or
the like requiring special sanitary conditions.
A further object is to provide a stretch-type work glove
adapted to be formed with a palm and finger blank of
non-porous material and a hand back and finger blank
of resiliently expendable material.
Another object is to provide a novel glove formed from
a universal pattern for both the left and right hands.
A still further object is to provide a novel pattern and
method by which a glove may be economically and simply
manufactured with savings in both labor and material.
These and still other objects and advantages will be
come more apparent hereinafter.
Briefly, the invention is embodied in a glove construc
tion having body and thumb portions, said body portion
having front and back sections with at least two finger
portions of equal length, the finger portions being joined
along a fold line at the fingertip ends thereof, the body
and thumb portions being formed from stretch fabric
providing endwise elongation to adjust the length of the
two finger portions. In addition, the invention consists
in the novel pattern for the glove and in the method of
making the glove.
The invention is also embodied in the construction
and in the arrangements and combinations of parts and
features hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of
this specification and wherein like numerals refer to like
parts wherever they occur:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a body portion blank for a
glove embodying the invention,
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a thumb portion blank for
a glove embodying the invention,
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the folded and stitched body and
thumb portions, respectively,
F.G. 5 is a view showing the thumb portion inset into
the body portion of the glove,
3,366,973
Patented Feb. 6, 1968
2
FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged view showing a finished
glove according to FIGS. 1-5,
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a glove body pattern for an
other embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a thumb pattern for said other
embodiment, and
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing a finished glove
according to FIGS. 7 and 8.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings wherein
IO one glove construction 10 embodying features of the in
vention is illustrated, the glove construction 10 is formed
from body and thumb patterns providing a glove body
blank it shown in FIG. 1 and a glove thumb blank 12
shown in FIG. 2.
5 The body blank or pattern comprises a first section
13 and a second section 14 interconnected in a unitary
piece. For reference purposes, the first section 13 will
be called the "front” section and the second section 14
will be called the "back” section, but it will be understood
20 that these words are not limiting since the glove it can
be worn on either the right or left hand as will become
more readily apparent hereinafter.
The front section 13 has a carpus or wrist portion 15,
metacarpus or palm portion 6 and small, ring, middle
25 and index phalanx or finger portions 17, 18, 19 and 20,
respectively. The back section 14 has a carpus or wrist
portion 21, metacarpus or hand portion 22 and small,
ring, middle and index phalanx or finger portions 23, 24,
25 and 26, respectively. The term "hand portion' may
30 be used herein interchangeably with the term "palm por
tion' to indicate the metacarpus or principal parts of
the hand. The front and back sections 13 and 14 are
identical in configuration and the three major length fin
ger portions 18, 24 and 19, 25 and 20, 26 are of equal
35 length and are joined along a fold line a-a at the com
mon fingertip ends 29, 30 and 3; thereof. The free mar
gins 27 and 28 of the wrist portions 5 and 21 are posi
tioned at remote ends of the body blank 11. A kerf or
notch 34 is provided in the side margin 35 of the front
40 section 13 opposite to the small finger portion E7, and a
similar kerf or notch 36 is formed in the side margin 37
of the back section 4. The kerks 34 and 36 define thumb
receiving margins 38 and 39 in the glove body 11.
Referring to FIG. 2, the thumb blank 12 includes a
45 front strip portion 42 and a back strip portion 43 of sub
stantially equal length and being joined along a fold line
b-b at the common tip end 44 thereof. The free outer
margins 45 and 46 of the strips 42 and 43 are adapted to
be secured to the margins 38 and 39, respectively, of the
50 kerfs 34 and 36. Each of the margins 45 and 46 may be
provided with a projecting tab 47 to facilitate locating or
positioning the thumb portion 12 on the glove body 11.
A feature of the present invention resides in the use of a
stretch fabric; that is, a fabric woven or knit from an
55 elastic thread or yarn and possessing predetermined re
silient or elastic properties. Several stretch fabrics are
available in the market and a typical fabric used in the
present invention is a 100% stretch, 70 denier, nylon
tricot fabric manufactured by Southern Silk Mills of
60 Spring City, Tenn. The fabric should be woven to be ex
pansible in all directions and should possess total or com
posite elongation properties (adding the degree of stretch
in the end or warp direction and the degree of stretch in
the lateral or weft direction) of about 200%. The opti
65 mum stretch in the end direction should be about 35-50%
with a minimum stretch of about 30%.
In making a glove construction 10 according to the
present invention, the glove body and thumb patterns are
oriented on the stretch fabric or material with the finger
70
portions extending in the direction of end stretch and the
blanks 1 and i2 are cut to the patterns. The glove body
 3,366,973
3
blank 1 is folded on itself at the fold line a-a to Super
impose the back section 4 over the front Section 3.
FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred method of Stitching the glove
body 11, in which a continuous thread chain 48 is used
from the wrist margin 28 around the small finger 23 and
along the sides of each major length finger 24, 25 and 26
to the thumb opening 36 to sew the front and back sections
together. The thread chain foms side seams 48" along the
sides of each of the three long finger portions and is car
ried across or around the folded fingertip ends 29, 30 and
31 in an unbroken, free thread chain loop 49 so that no
stitched seam is formed along the fold line of the finger
tips. Accordingly, since the finger sheaths or stalls formed
by these finger portions are of equal length, the degree
of fabric stretch accommodates adjustment to actual fin
ger length to achieve a fit. Another thread chain forms a
seam 50 between the thumb opening 36 and the Wrist
margin. 28.
It will be understood that the thread chain loops 49
may be clipped according to conventional stitching tech
niques. In addition to this conventional practice, it is pos
sible to use a further technique of applying an alcohol
solution of nylon resin on the end of each finger seam 48
to prevent raveling. Such an anti-fray solution is available
under the trademark Sergene from E. L. du Pont de 25
Nemours & Co. and is described in Technical Information
Bulleti X-170 dated October 1962.
The thumb blank 12 is folded on itself to superimpose
the back strip 43 over the front strip 42. FIG. 4 illustrates
the stitching of the thumb blank 12 to form a thumb cot
or stal and shows that a continuous thread chain is used
to form seams 51 along the sides of the thumb cot and an
unbroken, free thread chain loop 52 extends around the
thumb end 44 so that no stitched seam is formed along
the fold line of the end 44.
FIG. 5 illustrates the stitching of the thumb cot 12 into
the thumb opening of the glove body 1. The thumb cot
i2 is turned so that the side seams 51 are laterally dis
posed or transverse of the plane of the side seams 48' of
the finger portions 24, 25 and 26. The thunb portion nar
gin 45 of the front strip 42 is stitched by a seam 56 to the
thumb receiving margins 38 of both the front and back
section kerfs 34 and 36 with the tab 47 being indexed at
the adjacent glove body seam 48’’, and the back strip
margin 46 is secured by the seam 56 to the margins 39
of the kerfs 34 and 36 with its tab 47 indexed at the ad
jacent body seam 50. The manner of stitching the thumb
cot and glove body together is selected to catch the end
of one seann in another seam to prevent raveling, and the
chain loops 49 and 52 also constitute a novel means to
prevent raveling. In fact, the use of the chain loops 49
and 52 permit a skilled seamstress to close the glove body
i and thumb cot 12 and sew them together with one
continuous seam. It is preferred to use a standard 401
Stitch which is relatively more extensible or less binding
than other conventional textile stitching, and also to stitch
the glove construction 0 under fabric tension whereby
the stretch characteristics of the fabric will not be re
stricted by the seams.
It will be clear that the kerfs 34 and 36 are identical
in size so that the thumb hole in the glove body 11 ex
tends inwardly from the outer forefinger margin the same
distance on both the front and back sections 3 and 14.
Therefore, the thumb cot 12 is set into the glove body 11
to extend outwardly normal to the outer forefinger margin
and a glove. C may be used for either the right or left
hand so that only one glove pattern is required. Since the
side seams 51 of the thumb cot are laterally disposed rela
tive to the body seams 48, the smooth fabric surface of
front section 42 extends across the ball of the thumb.
Referring to FIG. 6, it will be seen that the glove con
struction G may be finished by providing a wrist hem 53
having seam 54 using an anti-fray solution (Sergene)
finish to prevent raveling. The hem 53 may be provided
with an elastic band 55. The giove 10 is inverted or turned 75
4.
inside out to conceal the raw edges or Selvage of the
seamed margins and the chain loops and to provide a
smooth finished glove.
Referring to FIGS. 7-9, a further embodiment of the
glove construction 10 is illustrated as utilizing a two
piece pattern for the glove body 111 and for the thumb
112. This embodiment, now to be described in detail,
permits the use of two different materials and has par
ticular value in the manufacture of gloves having a non
porous first or front section 113 for minimizing con
timination from the palm and fingers and having a stretch
fabric second or back section 14. The non-porous mate
rial may be a stretch nylon impregnated or Surface treated
with a yieldable plastic coating having a compatible
stretch property so that the material will remain non
porous under tension.
As shown in FIG. 7, the glove body 111 has a first
section 113 having a carpus or wrist portion 115, a meta
carpus or hand portion 116 and small, ring, middle and
20 index phalanx or finger portions 117, 18, 119 and 120,
respectively. A fold line c-c defines the fingertip ends
121, 22 and 123 of the major length finger portions of
the front or palm side of the first section, and fingertip
portions 24, 125 and 126 are formed as back Section
extensions integral with the finger portions 118, 119 and
29. These back section extension portions preferably
have angular free margins 27, 128 and 129 cut on the
bias. The glove body 1:1 also has a second section 114
having a carpus or wrist portion 132, metacarpus or hand
30 portion 133 and small, ring, middle and index phalanx or
finger portions 134, 135, 136 and 137, respectively. The
second section ii 4 is identical in configuration with the
first section 113 in the wrist, hand and small finger por
tions, and the finger portions 135, 136 and 137 are prefer
ably formed with angular free margins 138, 139 and 40
complementary to the margins 27, 128 and 129 of the
finger extensions 24, 125 and 126 with appropriate seam
allowance.
The finger portions 135, 136 and 137 are stitched to
40 the fingertip back extensions 127, 28 and 129 by seams
142, 143 and 144 (FIG. 9), as by the conventional 401
stitch, to form a pre-assembled, but unitary or integral
glove body blank 1 with identical front and back Sec
tions, only using two different materials. The angularity
of the seams 42, 43 and 144 is preferred as it provides
maximum fabric elongation for stretch fit of the finger
sheaths. The glove body 11 also has thumb receiving
kerfs 145 and 46 formed in the first and second sections
i3 and 14.
50 As shown in FIG. 8, the thumb portion 112 has a front
strip 48 with a free margin 149 and a thumb tip end
150 defined by a fold line d-d. A thumb tip back section
extension 151 is formed integral and preferably has an
angular margin 152 cut on the bias. The second or back
55 strip 153 of the thumb 112 has a free margin 154 and
an angular margin 155 complementary to the back exten
sion margin 152. The angular margins 152 and 155 are
stitched by a conventional 401 stitch forming a seam 156
whereby a pre-assembled, but unitary or integral thumb
60 blank 12b is formed.
The glove body and thumb blanks 1i and 12 are
Stitched together in the same manner as the glove embodi
ment shown in FIGS. 1-6, and it will be apparent that
the thread chains of seams 142, 143,144 and 156 will
65 be caught and prevented from raveling by the side seams
of the finger sheaths or stalls 135, 136 and 137 and the
thumb cot or stall 112.
It should be noted that in the FIGS. 7-9 embodiment
of the invention, the glove 110 is intended to be con
70 structed of two different materials-one for the first or
palm Section 13 and another for the second or back of
the hand section 114. Although this would appear to re
strict the use of the pattern shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 to
the left hand only, it will be seen that by folding the back
Section extensions 124, 125 and 126 oppositely on the
 3,366,973
5 6
fold lines 121, 122 and 123, the same pattern is reversible
for use in making either right-hand or left-hand gloves.
The thumb pattern is similarly reversible, but the finished
glove will only be useable on one or the other hand.
Accordingly, the body pattern may be modified so that
the thumb cot 12 may be set into the palm section in a
usual manner, as by the Bolton technique, English thumb
or the like.
It should also be noted that the end seam of the small
finger portion in each of the glove embodiments 10 and
110 can be eliminated by providing an integral back sec
tion extension following the same pattern arrangement
for the major length fingers 118, 119 and i20 shown in
FIGS. 7-9. Although the sensitivity of the glove wearer
will be improved by eliminating the end seam and mate
rial bulk in each of the finger sheaths and thumb cot, the
small finger and even the ring finger are not considered
to be critical since, in most persons, the thumb, index
and middle fingers do the major sensing work.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present
invention constitutes an important advance in the glove
art. Each embodiment of the glove is made from a simple
pattern that is easily oriented on the stretch fabric in a
manner to reduce waste of material. The unitary body and
thumb blanks 1 and 12 obviate the need for fourchettes 25
or kyles and other small pieces so that excessive stitching
is not required and the glove manufacture can be per
formed by relatively unskilled labor and automatic equip
ment may even be adaptable to the Swing of such glove
construction. Although the glove construction is simple
in design, the features of the invention provide a snug
fit for a range of hand sizes with adaptation to different
finger lengths as well as accommodate effective enlarge
ment of the hand when clenching or grasping an object.
The glove construction of the present invention eliminates
bulk of material and end seams at the fingertips to pro
vide for end elongation of the stretch fabric to achieve
the necessary fit and to improve comfort and sensitivity
of feel. Furthermore, there is no seam extending across
the ball of the thumb as the thumb cot is set into the 40 2,226,604 12/1940 Geissmann ----------- 2-169
glove body to locate the seams along the sides.
The present invention is intended to encompass such
changes and modifications of the embodiments herein
disclosed as will be readily apparent to all skilled in the
art, and the invention is only to be limited by the scope
of the following claims.
What I claim is:
1. A glove construction comprising a body portion
and a thumb cot, the body portion being formed from
a unitary blank having similar first and second sections,
said body portion having at least two finger sheaths of
equal length formed with unseamed end folds, said thumb
cot being formed from a unitary blank and having op
posed side seams and an unseamed end fold, and said
thumb cot being set into an opening in said body por
tion at the margin to locate said side seams laterally of
the ball of the thumb of a wearer, said side seams of
said thumb cot being disposed in a plane transverse of
O the plane of the side seams of said finger sheaths where
by said glove construction is adapted for use on either
the right or left hand.
2. The glove construction of claim 1 wherein the body
portion and thumb cot are formed from a stretch fabric
5 providing endwise elongation to adjust the relative length
of said two finger portions.
3. The glove construction according to claim 2 in which
the optimum endwise elongation of said stretch fabric is
about 35-50% with a minimum stretch of about 30%.
20 4. Glove body means comprising substantially similar
front and back sections of a unitary integral blank with
each section having seamless wrist and hand portions
and finger portions extending from said hand portions
and being disposed in opposed end-to-end relationship,
at least two finger portions of each section being of equal
length and being interconnected along fold lines adapted
to define the tip ends of said two finger portions of each
section, the first and second sections being formed in
tegrally from a stretch fabric having predetermined end
30 elongation in one direction, said finger portion of said
first and second sections extending in the one direction
of end elongation of said fabric.
5. The glove body means of claim 4 wherein three
finger portions of each section are of equal length and
35 are interconnected along fold lines adapted to define the
tip ends of the three finger portions of each section.
References Cited
UNITED STATES PATENTS
2,386,688 10/1945 Julianelli et al. ------- 2-1.69
2,447,951 8/1948 Lindfelt -------------- 2-167
2,538,837 1/1951 Johnston ------------- 2-169
2,898,021 8/1959 Miles et al. ------- 223-43 X
45
2,907,046 10/1959 Scherr --------------- 2-159
JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.
G. V. LARKIN, Examiner.
50