Patent Patter

Anything related to gloves (pre-1970) you can post here.

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » November 9th, 2023, 1:07 pm

mikesglove wrote:I found this while perusing a Spalding 1906 catalog. I initially thought it was a Ted Kennedy full round mitt since there were business transactions between Kennedy and Spalding in the past. As luck would have it, there was some patent info above the catalog illustration. I'll give the gang a couple minutes to come up with a guess, Kennedy or what mysterious inventor? Scroll down for the answer. The mitt has lacing only at the bottom and sides because the top of the mitt tapers way down, hence the name "Scoop Model" kind of like a soft shovel, hah!
Image
Image
Image


I wonder if this is the Spalding Scoop model? It was part of the Gary Cypress exhibit at the Reagan Library.
Image
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » December 2nd, 2023, 3:29 pm

In 1908 Burt Rogers applied for a patent for the so called "Pita Pocket" glove. Rogers intended a flap of leather attached loosely to the face of a fielders glove (cross section of fig. 3). So said glove could function as a catchers mitt if needed. This flap of leather was to be attached at the heel and up the pinky and thumb with sewing or lacing and left loose up to the fingertips where each finger and thumb had a point of attachment. The reasoning was to leave the fingers with some room for movement and flexibility. There was some mention also of the attachments being manufactured so the leather flap could be removed and replaced if needed.
Image
The glove below has a similar look but the fingertip attachment points seem to be crimped metal grommets.
This one is described as being either a Ted Kennedy mitt or a Rawlings. It has many characteristics of the earlier Ted Kennedy full round glove but my opinion is that it is neither a Kennedy or Rawlings but possibly a Victor. My opinion is based on the lack of a laced wrist opening and the buckle strap design.
Image

It is interesting to note that Victor applied for two patents in 1908. One was the patent above that was approved in 1911 and the other patent below that was approved a year later in 1912.
Image

This 1912 patent was vastly different from the 1911 Victor pita pocket patent. In a nutshell, the 1912 Victor patent was for a glove put into an envelop of leather. The 1909 Victor catalog shows the newly designed glove/mitt. Note that the illustration shows the glove/mitt as a patent pending. It took almost four years for the patent to be approved from 1908 to 1912. Most manufacturers would release a glove early as a patent pending model to gain some traction in sales.
Image
Here's an example.
Image

The 1912 patent and the example above harkens back to the Ted Gunson mitt of the 1880's. Gunson started with a glove, added padding and a wire frame and encased it all in a leather envelop.
Image
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » February 25th, 2024, 1:26 pm

mikesglove wrote:
mikesglove wrote:I found this while perusing a Spalding 1906 catalog. I initially thought it was a Ted Kennedy full round mitt since there were business transactions between Kennedy and Spalding in the past. As luck would have it, there was some patent info above the catalog illustration. I'll give the gang a couple minutes to come up with a guess, Kennedy or what mysterious inventor? Scroll down for the answer. The mitt has lacing only at the bottom and sides because the top of the mitt tapers way down, hence the name "Scoop Model" kind of like a soft shovel, hah!
Image
Image
Image


I wonder if this is the Spalding Scoop model? It was part of the Gary Cypress exhibit at the Reagan Library.
Image


after two years(1906-07) the Model S was radically redesigned in 1908. A web was added and the mitt was touted as an overgrown first base mitt. The model S was gone from the Spalding catalog by 1909.
Image
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » May 15th, 2025, 12:28 pm

A nice Goldsmith Dixie Walker glove from ebay. For a while, I thought the "No-Rip" patent stamp on the thumb was for the one piece face. Not so however. The patent was for the flap of leather covering the space between the thumb and first finger stall. It was a place a lot of gloves eventually ripped open. You can see the flap from the backside of the glove.
37y.jpg

27.jpg
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » September 28th, 2025, 3:17 pm

Rawlings introduce the Educated Heel gloves in 1960 even though their patent wouldn't be approved for another year and a half.
60raw.JPG

This gave time for Wilson to manufacture a model for 1961 based on the Rawlings U heel design.
The Wilson A2000 "Shooting Star" model had the U heel for only that year, 1961.
1961-wilson-a2000-front-john.jpg


For 1962, Wilson had to switch gears and they came up with an L heel patented design. The Wilson L heel was used on their flagship and midline models.
Untitled.jpg


Rawlings countered this with their own L heel models in 1962. Rawlings called this design revolutionary but in reality the design was just a modification of the U heel gloves. Rawlings kept the U heel for their TOTL models and relegated the L heel for their mideline gloves.
62gg.JPG

dick-groat-rawlings-lg30-front-bill.jpg
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » October 4th, 2025, 2:09 pm

The Rawlings Latina patent of 1944 had three functions. First as thumb and finger loops, second as a means of stabilizing the thumb and little finger padding from migrating to the center of the glove and third as a means of holding the thumb and little finger in an inwardly twisted and downwardly deflected position.
1944.JPG


This feature first showed up in the Playmaker model circa 1947 and only in the thumb of the glove. The exit points of the lacing on the thumb were were dubbed the "corporal stripes".
47a.jpg


It wasn't until 1954 that a glove featured both patent thumb and pinky loops in the newly designed Mickey Mantle model MM.
54mm.JPG

A 1957-58 model MM below
3319o.jpg


This continued on through the MMP model of 1959. In 1960 Rawlings redesigned the model MMP and eliminated the pinky "corporal stripes". The model MMP also featured a new pocket lacing and defined heel break.
60.JPG

This model MMP is rare and only produced for two years. I owned one of these and can attest to it being just a super glove.
60jj.jpg
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » October 6th, 2025, 2:06 pm

In 1962 the MMP model was redesigned and became the XPG6.
oldnewa.jpg

The "corporal stripes" on the thumb were discontinued on the XPG6 after 1964.
A circa 1963 XPG6 compared to a post 1964 XPG6 model.
oldnew.jpg

The "corporal stripes" were to reappear on the 1970-72 XPG6 Mantle models. Note that the "Made IN U.S.A." heel stamp of the earlier gloves was changed to "U.S.A." in 1970.
dot2a.jpg

dot2.jpg
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Re: Patent Patter

Postby mikesglove » October 6th, 2025, 4:42 pm

Two other changes that occurred to the XPG6 between 1964-65.
First, the old and new Mantle signature.
6465.jpg

Second, the change from the old wrist snugger adjustment to the new Comfo-Lok wrist strap.
6465a.jpg
User avatar
mikesglove
Hall of Famer Glove Poster
 
Posts: 4280
Joined: July 11th, 2010, 1:27 pm

Previous

Return to Vintage Glove Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 34 guests