Background of the Invention
[0001] This invention relates a sailing glove for handling lines on sailing vessels.
[0002] Sailing gloves have been traditionally constructed of leather, with reinforcing pads
on the palms and fingers. These gloves tend to become stiff after repeated wetting
and drying. Thick, heavy leather is employed, since soft leather tends to wear out
quickly.
[0003] More recently, artificial leather has been used as a component in sailing gloves.
Artificial leather is typically composed of microfine polymer fibers such as nylon,
with the fibers being interfelted by mechanical entanglement such as by needling,
with the resultant nonwoven being impregnated with a cured polyurethane resin to bond
the fibers together. These gloves have about the same gripping power and wear rate
of natural leather but also have the added benefit of remaining soft after being wetted
and dried.
[0004] Recent advances in sailing products have led to advances in technology relating to
the lines or sheets which control the sails. For example, lines are made from high
tensile polymer strands having low elongation, and allow for a smaller diameter line
to be used. These lines also tend to have a slippery surface, making them difficult
to grip and control.
[0005] Heretofore, sailing gloves have had only a single purpose, and that is to prevent
chafing of the skin of the palm and fingers of the hand. The ability to hold a line
against an opposing force, such as the sheet of a sail, has been determined solely
by the strength and endurance of the sailor. In many cases, sheets are held by hand,
rather than cleated, to enable quick sail adjustments, and fatigue becomes an important
factor especially in cold conditions.
Summary of the Invention
[0006] In accordance with the present invention, the gripping surfaces of a sailing glove
are provided with a high coefficient of friction relative to the sailing line. Specifically,
the gripping surfaces are tackified to provide a coefficient of friction of from about
0.6 to about 0.9 relative to the line. Surprisingly, this has been found to increase
the gripping power of the sailor and glove up to 50% over untreated gloves without
affecting the ability to smoothly release and regrip the line.
[0007] The exposed palm and finger portions of the sailing glove are composed of porous
artificial leather which has been treated or impregnated with a tackifying agent,
such as a short chain polyurethane or tackifying resin. The material remains soft
after repeated wet and dry cycles, and the wear properties are approximately the same
as an untreated artificial leather.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0008]
Figure 1 is a plan view of the sailing glove of the present invention, shown in connection
with a section of line.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0009] Figure 1 illustrates the palm side of a sailing glove 10 in combination with a line
12 to be grasped when the glove is used. The forces on the line act generally in the
direction indicated by the arrow 14, namely, perpendicular to or across the palm and
fingers.
[0010] As used herein, the term "line" means a intertwined or braided and flexible rope-like
structure composed of polymeric strands, such as polyester, aramid, polyamid or polyolefin
polymers, sometimes having an outer textile cover. Lines on sailing craft are normally
used to control the trim of sails or the rigging.
[0011] The palm 16, thumb 17, and inner finger portions 18 of the glove are lined with a
thin layer of artificial leather 19 as shown, held to the fabric of the glove by stitching,
such as that shown at 20, or by other type of bonding. As is typical of many sailing
gloves, the ends of the finger portion of the glove may be cut away as shown at 22.
[0012] Artificial leather is a commercially available material sold under the trademark
Amara. Preferably, porous types of artificial leather are employed. Such materials
are made from a nonwoven substrate of short microfine nylon or other polymer fibers
which are formed into a web by carding and cross lapping. The web is then needled
with barbed needles at a high rate to entangle the fibers. The fabric is then impregnated
with a polyurethane resin and the resin is coagulated. Various techniques are employed
to provide a porous surface, such as application of a solvent, as described in U.S.
patent no. 5,156,900, incorporated herein by reference.
[0013] A tackifying resin or polymer is incorporated into the artificial leather. Flexible,
elastomeric tackifying agents are preferred, such as short chain polyurethane, incorporated
at a rate of five to twenty percent of the weight of the substrate. The agent may
be dissolved in a solvent for this purpose. The actual amount of tackifying agent
employed depends on the nature of the agent, with the only qualification being that
the coefficient of friction between the material and the line 12 must fall within
the ranges specified herein.
[0014] Both the static and dynamic coefficients can be determined by a simple test using
the treated artificial leather from the glove and engaging the material on a support
with the line 12. The preferred method is to mount a piece of the treated material
on a drum, with the line 12 being looped over the supported material for approximately
180 degrees. The static coefficient of friction is calculated from the maximum force
required to start the line moving against various amounts of weights or loads on the
line. The dynamic coefficient of friction is calculated by measuring the amount of
force required to move the line at a constant speed under increasing amounts of load.
Both measurements can be made by inserting a load cell on one side of the drum and
applying weight to the other side.
[0015] It has been found that the static coefficient of friction between the glove material
and the line is critical and must be between 0.6 and 0.9 and the average coefficient
should be between about 0.65 and 0.75. The dynamic coefficient between the line and
glove material should be in the order of 0.6 to 0.9 with the average in the order
of between about 0.6 to 0.75. Within these parameters, the glove 10 will provide up
to 50% improved gripping power on the line 12, while allowing the line to be easily
released and regripped. Artificial leather gloves without a tackifying agent generally
have a static coefficient of friction with the line of less than 0.5 and an average
dynamic coefficient of less than 0.4.
[0016] A variety of other types of materials have been tested, including a number of fabrics
having rough surfaces. All other materials proved to be unsatisfactory either because
of low gripping power or excessive wear. Despite the higher coefficient of friction
afforded by the present glove, the surfaces of the glove in contact with the line
exhibit a high wear rate, which is approximately the same as the same untreated artificial
leather glove having a lower coefficient of friction with the line. The wear rate
from a line can be evaluated by running a line under load back and forth across a
180°expanse of material supported on a stationary drum. Without wishing to be bound
by any theory, it is believed that the tackifying resin may serve to protect and reduce
wear on the fabric substrate of the artificial leather.
1. A sailing line and glove combination comprising a sailing line, a glove adapted to
grip said line, said glove comprising artificial leather gripping surfaces, and a
tackifying agent in said gripping surfaces, said gripping surfaces and said line having
an average static coefficient of friction of between about 0.65 and 0.75.
2. The sailing line and glove combination of Claim 1 wherein said gripping surfaces and
said line have a dynamic coefficient of friction of between about 0.6 to 0.75.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said artificial leather comprises a nonwoven porous
substrate.
4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said tackifying agent is a polyurethane resin.
5. A sailing line and glove combination, said combination comprising a line having an
outer surface of polymer strands, and a glove adapted to grip said line, said glove
comprising surfaces for gripping said line, said surfaces comprising a porous substrate
of nonwoven fibers, and a polyurethane tackifying resin impregnated into said porous
substrate, said surfaces and said line having a static coefficient of friction between
0.6 and 0.9.