Nokona "Tex-Siz-Trap", Rawlings "Trapeze" & More

[mikesglove]

The Tex-Siz-Trap started as a patent for basemans mitts! The split trap-pocket was invented by Walter Tompkins for Nokona in 1955. This ad from the Nokona 1956 catalog. Note the patent number at bottom right of the ad.

Below is the Nokona patent of 1955

By 1961 this patent design was added to fielder's gloves as the TST (Tex-Siz-Trap) 7 finger model.

note the different X lacing patterns of the trap on these two TST models. Pretty cool design from Nokona

[mikesglove]

In 1960 Rawlings was issued a design patent for a six finger glove invented by Harry Latina.

The glove was featured prominently in the 1962 catalog

The Utility patent for construction of the glove was issued in 1961.

Like Walter Tompkins at Nokona, Latina referred to his earlier first base "Trapper" patents in some of the details of the six finger glove construction

1950's "Trapper"

!960's six finger "Trapeze"

[mikesglove]

There are some interesting variations on the 1961 six finger patent illustration. The most intriguing is the "Auxiliary finger stall" Latina incorporated for the forefinger placement outside the mitt

1961 6 finger stall.jpg (27.56 KiB) Viewed 14161 times

A flap of leather just above the wrist opening, #22 on the drawing, could be moved aside so the forefinger could be placed outside the glove. This design was well before the 1971 "Holdster" patent. It is really an interesting and unique feature!

One other unique Latina variation is an extended pocket version of the six finger model. Notice the short fingers. This again is a really interesting and unique feature. Notice also the unique wrist lacing usually seen on catchers and baseman's mitts. I wonder if anyone has seen these oddities? Mark?

[vintagebrett]

Sonnett released their line of 6 finger/ Trapeze model gloves in 1961. Here are the top 3 in the line from that year.

[softball66]

Interestingly, other companies could do "variations" on the trapeze design to avoid Rawlings patent on this design, which is simply the glove version of the trapper baseman mitt. Just a few tweaks there and there. Rawlings was leaning heavily on this pattern for its "new look" in 1957 but when Wilson's A2000 took the glove world by storm the following year, it focused more on its XPG series and dropped the design a few years later only to see it revive and now is one of the most popular designs in the modern glove world.
Good post (s) though on a very popular glove design that has lasted for years.

[okdoak]

Here's an odd tweak that Wilson did to their six-finger. The strips between the thumb and finger probably helped to keep the laces from breaking but it made the glove less flexible in the process.

[mikesglove]

Here is the 1962 Wilson patent for the six finger glove pictured above and instead of lacing there is a hinged connection to the web. pretty interesting.

[mikesglove]

Here is a enlargement of Brett's "Bob Allison" six finger Sonnett glove. Notice the lacing joining the web at the crotch and the vertical lacing in the middle of the web. As with the Nokona and Rawlings gloves, Sonnett borrowed some features from their patented 1948 basemitt and also combined that with a design from a 1953 Sonnett glove patent

from 1961 Sonnett catalog

note the vertical lacing separating the middle and ring finger

[mikesglove]

Interestingly, other companies could do "variations" on the trapeze design to avoid Rawlings patent on this design, which is simply the glove version of the trapper baseman mitt. Just a few tweaks there and there. Rawlings was leaning heavily on this pattern for its "new look" in 1957 but when Wilson's A2000 took the glove world by storm the following year, it focused more on its XPG series and dropped the design a few years later only to see it revive and now is one of the most popular designs in the modern glove world.

[mikesglove]

MacGregor came out with their version of a six finger glove in 1962 that they called the "Field Master"

The web seems wider than other six finger models and is divided into three vertical segments.

[mikesglove]

Here is an interesting variation by Nokona of the "Tex-Siz-Trap" glove. This "Billy Loes" model S750 from the 1960's is from an ebay auction. This glove is from the lower end of the Nokona catalog and the webbing may be a more simplified and cheaper version of the elaborate TST models posted earlier

[softball66]

I just bought and sold a Nokona Tommy Tatum "Latch" 1b mitt that was a variation of the its original "Latch" with its center lacing, two sides, look. On this one they sewed up one side of the center lacing.
I would call all of these variation patents of the trappers and trapeze, the "get-around" patents because other companies were seeing how they could "get around" the Rawlings original patent.

[softball66]

Tiny 7 finger Nokona just found.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 1144914166