Cutlass bearing etymology

[Roberto]

I have searched a litlle the internet but found no specific explanation.
Where does the "cutlass" comes from, when applied to a bearing?

"Cutlass" itself, see OED and others, is from latin cultellus, knife, hence neoLatin French coutelas or Italian coltellaccio.
What about a bearing?

 

[prv]

My understanding, albeit one for which I have no authoritative source, is that the correct term is "cutless", not "cutlass".

Originally a trade name (it has a certain 1930s/1940s feel to it) based on the fact that the soft rubber bearing doesn't cut into the shaft in the way that alternatives of the time, presumably, did.

Pete

 

[Roberto]

My understanding, albeit one for which I have no authoritative source, is that the correct term is "cutless", not "cutlass".

Originally a trade name (it has a certain 1930s/1940s feel to it) based on the fact that the soft rubber bearing doesn't cut into the shaft in the way that alternatives of the time, presumably, did.

Pete

thank you Pete, indeed at least commercially the product is offered with the two spellings, both UK and US -at least what appears after a quick internet search.

Today though, most of those rubber bearings seem to be made by hollow rubber cylinders with cuts/indents all around the inside surface, for water lubrication. uzzled:

 

[alan_d]

If you were to look up Cutless on Wikipedia you would find yourself diverted to a page entitled Stave bearing. There you would find the following:

The tradename "Cutless" is a registered trademark owned by Duramax Marine. The name refers to a molded rubber bearing manufactured by Duramax Marine.[6] The tradename "Cutless" is used for these rubber bearings and this name has also, along with its misspelling 'Cutlass', become a generic term for them.[7]

Edit: Looking elsewhere on the forum I realise I have done this all wrong. I should have abused the OP for being lazy and/or completely clueless and not posted anything that might have answered the original question.

 

[Roberto]

If you were to look up Cutless on Wikipedia you would find yourself diverted to a page entitled Stave bearing. There you would find the following:

Thank you, so it s a trade name

 

[vyv_cox]

Thank you, so it s a trade name

Like 'hoover' it has come to be a generic description. These bearings replaced previously used wooden ones that would cut into the shaft, although I have also seen it suggested that the early ones were simply rubber blocks with cut grooves. Moulded ones lasted a lot longer.

 

[guernseyman]

Dates
Filing date
02 October 1997
Date of entry in register
26 March 1999
Renewal date
02 October 2017
CUTLESS
29/04/2019 Search for a trade mark - Intellectual Property Office
https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK00002146920 2/3
Goods and services
Classes and terms
Bearings for machines; propeller shaft bearings for watercraft.
Bearing for the rudders of watercraft.
Bearings made wholly or principally of rubber and/or synthetic rubber.
Names and addresses
Owner(s) name
Icon Polymer Limited
Thrumpton Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6HH, United Kingdom

 

[lw395]

Dates
Filing date
02 October 1997
Date of entry in register
26 March 1999
Renewal date
02 October 2017
CUTLESS
29/04/2019 Search for a trade mark - Intellectual Property Office
https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK00002146920 2/3
Goods and services
Classes and terms
Bearings for machines; propeller shaft bearings for watercraft.
Bearing for the rudders of watercraft.
Bearings made wholly or principally of rubber and/or synthetic rubber.
Names and addresses
Owner(s) name
Icon Polymer Limited
Thrumpton Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6HH, United Kingdom

There must be history before that, I can recall needing to renew one before '97.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Edit: Looking elsewhere on the forum I realise I have done this all wrong. I should have abused the OP for being lazy and/or completely clueless and not posted anything that might have answered the original question.

You are a living example of politeness - oops, sorry, political correctness gone mad.

 

[sighmoon]

In my imagination it was because the arrangement of the prop shaft and P-bracket in a traditional long-keeler kind of resembles a cutlass. Probably more so on a drawing than in real life.

 

[vyv_cox]

There must be history before that, I can recall needing to renew one before '97.

The original patent application was made in 1940 by Alan Osbourne. The history of their manufacture is quite interesting.

 

[Neil_Y]

Best to call them what they are, water lubricated plain shaft bearings.

There are now many that are not rubber, technology has moved on.