Means for protecting batters from hand injuries
AssigneeNew Products Development, Inc.
InventorsAlbert Winslow Elliott, Jr., Albert W. Elliott, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pair of protective plates are releasably secured to the back side of a glove. One plate covers the back of the hand and the other plate covers the lower portions of the fingers. The two plates are spaced apart to allow freedom of movement of the knuckles at the base of the fingers, but the plates are spaced sufficiently close to each other to protect these knuckles. When used with a batter's glove the plates conform to the curved configuration of the hands while gripping a bat, and the plates are configured so as to prevent interference between them when the bat is swung. For other uses, such as motorcross, the plates have a slightly different configuration.
Claims41
The combination comprising a pair of gloves for covering the right and left hands, in which each glove has a rear surface covering the back side of the hand and the rear surface has a lower portion covering the metacarpal area of the hand and an upper portion covering the lower portions of the fingers, first attachment means secured to the lower portion of one of said gloves for releasably attaching a first protective device to that portion of the glove;
- second attachment means secured to the upper portion of said one glove for releasably attaching a second protective device to that portion of the glove;
- third attachment means secured to the lower portion of the other of said gloves for releasably attaching a third protective device to that portion of the glove;
- and fourth attachment means secured to the upper portion of said other glove for releasably attaching a fourth protective device to that portion of the glove.
For use with a glove having a rear surface covering the back side of a hand in which the lower portion of the glove covers the metacarpal area of the hand and an upper portion of the glove covers the lower portions of the fingers above the metacarpal phalangeal joints of the hand, means for protecting the hand of a person wearing said glove comprising a rigid lower protective plate for covering said lower portion of the glove, a rigid upper protective plate for covering said upper portion of the glove, means on the lower plate for releasably fastening the lower plate to said lower portion of the glove, and means on the upper plate for releasably fastening the upper plate to said upper portion of the glove.
Means for protecting the hand comprising:
- a glove having a rear surface covering the back side of the hand in the matacarpal area of the hand;
- first fastening means on said rear surface of the glove;
- a rigid protective plate having spaced apart top and bottom edges and spaced apart side edges;
- and
- second fastening means on the protective plate for cooperating with said first fastening means to releasably secure the protective plate in a fixed position covering said rear surface;
- the protective plate, in said fixed position, having said side edges sufficiently spaced apart to substantially cover the four metacarpal bones of the hand extending from said bottom edge being in the vicinity of the wrist to said top edge being immediately below the metacarpal phalangeal joints of said hand, with said first and second fastening means allowing freedom of movement of said metacarpal phalangeal joints and allowing freedom of movement of the thumb of said hand.
Means for protecting the hand comprising:
- a glove having a rear surface covering the back side of the hand, the glove rear surface having a lower portion covering the metacarpal area of the hand and an upper portion covering the lower portions of the fingers;
- first fastening means on said lower portion of the glove rear surface;
- second fastening means on said upper portion of the glove rear surface;
- a rigid lower protective plate having spaced apart top and bottom edges and spaced apart side edges;
- a rigid upper protective plate having spaced apart top and bottom edges and spaced apart side edges;
- third fastening means on the lower protective plate for cooperating with said first fastening means to releasably secure the lower plate in a fixed position covering said lower portion of the glove rear surface;
- and
- fourth fastening means on the upper protective plate for cooperating with said second fastening means to releasably secure the upper plate in a fixed position covering said upper portion of the glove rear surface;
- the lower protective plate, in its fixed position, having its side edges sufficiently spaced apart to substantially cover the four metacarpal bones of the hand extending from its bottom edge being in the vicinity of the wrist to its top edge being immediately below the metacarpal phalangeal joints of said hand;
- the upper protective plate, in its fixed position, having its side edges sufficiently spaced apart to substantially cover the lower portions of the four fingers extending from its bottom edge being immediately above the metacarpal phalangeal joints to its top edge being immediately below the first interdigital joints of said four fingers;
- the lower and upper plates, in their fixed positions, being spaced apart to allow freedom of movement of the metacarpal joints of the hand and also allowing freedom of movement of the thumb of said hand.
A glove worn on the hand, the glove having a rear surface for covering the backside of the hand, the glove rear surface having a lower portion covering the metacarpal area of the hand, and an upper portion covering the lower portions of the fingers;
- lower securing means on the lower portion of the glove;
- upper securing means on the upper portion of the glove;
- a lower rigid protective plate for cooperating with the lower securing means to hold the lower protective plate on the lower portion of the glove, the lower protective plate extending over the four metacarpal bones of the hand when releasably secured to the lower securing means;
- an upper rigid protective plate for cooperating with the upper securing means to releasably secure the upper protective plate over the upper portion of the glove, the upper protective plate extending over the lower portions of the four fingers when releasably secured to the upper securing means;
- the upper and lower protective plates being separate from one another so as to allow freedom of movement of the glove portion covering the metacarpal phalangeal joints of the hand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.