Anti-roll gloves and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Gloves and methods of manufacturing gloves that provide structural support elements to prevent or minimize glove roll, and that alternatively or in addition provide protection against blunt force to the back of the hand, including methods of manufacture, specifically including molding or screening the structural support elements and/or protective cushions to the back of the hand side of the glove.

1 . A string knit, dipped glove comprising:
 a string knit glove having a thumb, a first finger, a second finger, a third finger, a fourth finger, a palm side, a back or top side, a thumb side, a side opposite the thumb side and a cuff;   a first polymer band extending across said back of said glove;   said palm side having a dipped polymer coating; and,   said band seamlessly joining said palm side at said thumb side in an area between said thumb and said first finger and in an area between said thumb and said cuff, and at said side opposite said thumb side in an area adjacent and below said fourth finger and in an area adjacent said cuff.   
     
     
         2 . The glove of  claim 1  further comprising a second band extending across the glove thumb approximately above the 1 st  metacarpal position and the 1 st  proximal phalange position. 
     
     
         3 . The glove of  claim 2  wherein said second band is a generally straight, linear strip of material. 
     
     
         4 . The glove of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of metacarpal-proximal phalange bands, each of said metacarpal-proximal phalange bands extending across the back of said glove fingers at approximately the joint position between the 2 nd -5 th  metacarpals and the 2 nd -5 th  proximal phalanges. 
     
     
         5 . The glove of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of proximal-middle phalange bands, each of said proximal-middle phalange bands extending across the back of said glove fingers at approximately the joint position between the 2 nd -5 th  proximal phalanges and the 2 nd -5 th  middle phalanges. 
     
     
         6 . The glove of  claim 1  further comprising a pad positioned over said band. 
     
     
         7 . The glove of  claim 6  wherein said pad has a thickness in the range of about 1 mm-5 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The glove of  claim 6  wherein said pad is of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of polyvinyl chloride, nitrile, polyurethane, leather, synthetic suede, polymer(s). 
     
     
         9 . The glove of  claim 1  further including an elastic ringlet cuff that extends substantially around the wrist position of said glove 
     
     
         10 . The glove of  claim 1  further including a cuff binding that extends substantially around the outer circumference of said glove. 
     
     
         11 . The glove of  claim 1  further including a plurality of cushions placed at predetermined locations on said back of said glove. 
     
     
         12 . The glove of  claim 1  further including a plurality of cushions placed on said back or top side of said glove at positions generally above and corresponding to positions of one or more bones of a hand upon which said glove is worn. 
     
     
         13 . The glove of  claim 1  further including a plurality of cushions placed on said back or top side of said glove at positions generally above and corresponding to positions of one or more joints of a hand upon which said glove is worn. 
     
     
         14 . A method of making a structurally supported string knit, dipped glove comprising:
 providing a machine knitted shell for a string knit glove having a thumb, a first finger, a second finger, a third finger, a fourth finger, a palm side, a back or top side, a thumb side, a side opposite the thumb side and a cuff;   loading said shell onto a flat metal hand shaped former to form a loaded former;   placing said loaded former in a predetermined position on an injection molding press;   providing a molding tool adapted to be positioned over a portion of said shell and having at least one cavity complimentary to at least one structural support band, said support band having a predetermined shape, a predetermined thickness and a predetermined length extending across said back of said shell;   mounting said molding tool on said press;   closing said press to cause said molding tool to be pushed into direct contact with said former;   heating an elastomeric polyvinyl chloride compound to a temperature sufficient to melt it to a free flowing, relatively high viscosity molten liquid;   injecting said molten elastomeric liquid into said mold to form said at least one elastomeric reinforcing band on said shell;   cooling said molding tool sufficient to set said elastomeric reinforcing band and form a molded shell;   opening said press and removing said molded shell from said flat metal former;   loading said molded shell onto a dipping hand shape former;   dipping said molded shell and said former into a nitrile latex dipping compound to form a latex dipped shell; and,   drying and curing said latex dipped shell to form said structurally supported string knit, dipped glove.   
     
     
         15 . A method of making a structurally supported string knit, dipped glove comprising:
 providing a machine knitted shell for a string knit glove having a thumb, a first finger, a second finger, a third finger, a fourth finger, a palm side, a back or top side, a thumb side, a side opposite the thumb side and a cuff;   loading said shell onto a flat metal hand shaped former to form a loaded flat metal former;   providing a cool, open top metal mold adapted to be positioned over a portion of said shell and having at least one cavity complimentary to at least one structural support band, said support band having a predetermined shape, a predetermined thickness and a predetermined length extending across said back of said shell;   filling said metal mold with a polyvinyl plastisol paste having a Brookfield viscosity of about 700 cps, spindle 7 @ 1 rpm to form a filled metal mold;   heating said filled metal mold until said mold and said paste are a temperature of about 130° C. and said paste is in a semi-gel state;   lowering said loaded former onto said open top mold sufficient to cause said paste to contact said shell;   pressing said flat metal former into said mold and heating said mold, said paste and said former to a temperature of at least 180° C.;   removing said flat metal former and said mold from said press;   cooling said flat metal former and said mold to form a molded shell;   removing said molded shell from said flat metal former;   loading said molded shell onto a dipping hand shape former;   dipping said molded shell and said hand shape former into a nitrile latex dipping compound to form a latex dipped shell; and,   drying and curing said latex dipped shell to form said structurally supported string knit, dipped glove.   
     
     
         16 . A method of making a structurally supported string knit, dipped glove comprising:
 providing a machine knitted shell for a string knit glove having a thumb, a first finger, a second finger, a third finger, a fourth finger, a palm side, a back or top side, a thumb side, a side opposite the thumb side and a cuff;   providing screen having at least one hollow space that is complimentary in shape and dimension to at least one raised structural support band, said support band having a predetermined shape, a predetermined thickness and a predetermined length extending across said back of said shell;   providing a predetermined quantity of a polyvinyl plastisol compound having a viscosity sufficient to permit it to flow through holes in said screen and stick to said shell;   loading said shell onto a flat metal hand shaped former to form a loaded flat metal former;   placing the loaded flat metal former below a printing screen in a predetermined position;   lowering said screen over and in contact with said loaded flat metal former;   loading said plastisol compound on said screen and in front of a squeegee;   moving said squeegee across said screen one or more times sufficient to cause said plastisol compound to flow into and fill said at least one hollow space;   lifting said screen off of said shell and leaving plastisol compound on said shell in a form like that of said raised structural support band to form a loaded, printed flat metal former;   heating said loaded, printed flat metal former to a temperature of about 185° C. for about 3-5 minutes or sufficient to fully get said plastisol compound;   cooling said loaded, printed flat metal former;   removing said printed shell from said flat metal former;   loading said printed shell onto a dipping hand shape former;   dipping said shell and said hand shape former into a nitrile latex dipping compound to form a latex dipped shell; and,   drying and curing said latex dipped shell to form said structurally supported string knit, dipped glove.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the screen is a silk screen. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the screen is a metal screen. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said polyvinyl plastisol compound comprises:
 a PVC polymer or a PVA/PVC biopolymer, 100 parts by weight; 
 plasticizer oil, 100-120 parts by weight; 
 a heat stabilizer, 3 parts by weight; 
 epoxy soya bean oil, 7.5 parts by weight; and, 
 dispersed pigment, 3 parts by weight. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a structurally supported string knit, dipped glove comprising:
 providing a machine knitted shell for a string knit glove having a thumb, a first finger, a second finger, a third finger, a fourth finger, a palm side, a back or top side, a thumb side, a side opposite the thumb side and a cuff;   providing screen having at least one hollow space that is complimentary in shape and dimension to at least one raised structural support band, said support band having a predetermined shape, a predetermined thickness and a predetermined length extending across said back of said shell;   providing a predetermined quantity of a nitrile latex compound having a viscosity sufficient to permit it to flow through holes in said screen and stick to said shell;   loading said shell onto a flat metal hand shaped former to form a loaded flat metal former;   placing the loaded flat metal former below a printing screen in a predetermined position;   lowering said screen over and in contact with said loaded flat metal former;   loading said nitrile latex compound on said screen and in front of a squeegee;   moving said squeegee across said screen one or more times sufficient to cause said nitrile latex compound to flow into and fill said at least one hollow space;   lifting said screen off of said shell and leaving nitrile latex compound on said shell in a form like that of said raised structural support band to form a loaded, printed flat metal former;   heating said loaded, printed flat metal former to a temperature of about 85° C. for about 30 minutes to dry said nitrile latex compound;   heating said loaded, printed flat metal former to a temperature of about 125° C. for about 15 minutes to cure said nitrile latex compound;   removing said printed shell from said flat metal former;   loading said printed shell onto a dipping hand shape former;   dipping said shell and said hand shape former into a nitrile latex dipping compound to form a latex dipped shell; and, drying and curing said latex dipped shell to form said structurally supported string knit, dipped glove.