[AT] Names that have become generic

[Tim Bivens]

Larry,
I only have go as far back as my latest (2003)
Standard Motor Parts catalog to find the word
condensor. As many of you know Standard is one of the
oldest and biggest ignition manufacturers. If the word
condensor is good enough for them that's good enough
for me. Nowhere in that catalog do I see them listed
as capacitors. I have been in the auto parts business
for many years and I can't tell you how many thousands
of times I have heard customers ask for "points and
condensor". Never once had one ask for "points and
capacitor". I know they are capacitors but they are
called condensors in the auto parts industry. I always
thought that they were called condensors because they
condensed or concentrated (as Brian put it) and/or
stored electricity. Someone said they would hate to
see liquid electricity but I think the term condense
doesn't necessarily have to be limited to liquid or
gas. For instance when you pack cardboard boxes in a
box baler you are condensing them, same thing for
garbage in a trash compactor etc. As far as Fred
Conden goes I think George has him confused with Fred
Condom, the inventor of the prophylactic.

Tim Bivens, Glen Rose, Tx.
--- "Larry D. Goss" <rlgoss at evansville.net> wrote:
(SNIP)
> I only have to go back to the early 70's to find
> literature that
> officially calls those things "condensers."  And
> THAT happens to be on
> some tractor literature.
> 
> [major soap box oration deleted]
> 
> Larry
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On
> Behalf Of Brian
> VanDragt
> Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:58 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Names that have become generic
> 
> Condensation is when a gas changes state into a
> liquid.  I've never seen
> liquid electricity, so I'll just call ignition
> condensers "electron
> concentrators" from now on.  Absolute zero is too
> cold for me to stand
> around and watch electricity freeze. :-)
> 
> Brian
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert L. Holtzer" <rholtzer at earthlink.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 6:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Names that have become generic
> 
> 
> > There is condensation in the sense that electrons
> are stored in a
> > relatively small area.  Otherwise, condensation
> might truly occur near
> > absolute zero??
> >
> > Bob Holtzer
> >
> > At 06:27 PM 3/31/2004 -0500, you wrote:
> > >Why is a condenser called a condenser?  It is
> actually a capacitor.
> It
> > >stores an electrical charge and acts as a buffer,
> but how can one
> "condense"
> > >electricity? :-)
> > >
> > >Brian
> > >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "Tim Bivens" <bivenshill at yahoo.com>
> > >To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> > >Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 3:39 PM
> > >Subject: Re: [AT] Names that have become generic
> > >
> > >
> > > > George,
> > > > Are you pulling our leg here? LOL. It only
> makes sense
> > > > to me for it to be called a starter since it
> "starts"
> > > > the engine. In the same sense a generator is
> called a
> > > > generator because it generates, a condenser is
> called
> > > > such because it condenses and so forth. Isn't
> commence
> > > > just a synonym for start? Why would one be
> more
> > > > correct than the other? Might be just as
> correct to
> > > > call it a "cranker". I am sure the word
> "start" was
> > > > around a long time before Charles Kettering.
> Whether
> > > > you are pulling our legs or not I am getting a
> big
> > > > laugh out of this.
> > > >
> > > > Tim Bivens, Glen Rose, Texas
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- George Willer <gwill at toast.net> wrote:
> > > > > Dean,
> > > > >
> > > > > The first one I thought of is the starter. 
> It was
> > > > > invented by Charles
> > > > > Starter Kettering and takes his middle name.
>  The
> > > > > proper name is
> > > > > "commencer".  :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > George Willer
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Dean VP" <deanvp at att.net>
> > > > > To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 1:21 AM
> > > > > Subject: [AT] Names that have become generic
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > I was doing some parts hunting today and
> ran
> > > > > across an item that I
> > > > > > automatically called a starter "Bendix".
> However,
> > > > > that isn't really the
> > > > > > correct name. It's the name of one of the
> > > > > companies that makes or made
> > > > > them.
> > > > > > It reminded me of some other items like
> the name
> > > > > Kleenex that is used for
> > > > > > all similar type items.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It is a manufacturers dream to get that
> kind of
> > > > > name recognition. What
> > > > > other
> > > > > > antique tractor parts besides "Bendix"
> have
> > > > > achieved that status?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Dean A. Van Peursem
> > > > > > Snohomish, WA 98290
> > > > > >
> > > > > > CRS = Having a Photographic Memory but a
> shortage
> > > > > of unused film.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > www.deerelegacy.com
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> _______________________________________________
> > > > > > AT mailing list
> > > > > >
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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> > > > >
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> 
=== message truncated ===


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