Below is an 1897 patent for such a glove. The inventor was from Philadelphia. It was designed primarily for motormen or gripmen. You can see the small knob impression in the palm of the glove above. Interestingly enough, the patent included uses for bricklayers, stone masons as well as ball players if need be. The glove above has remnants of a ball & socket snap type of closure on the back as well as a stamp on the front of a manufacturer of Thos. ______? in Phil. PA.