[Of obscure origin.]

1

  Possibly repr. some compound of FOOT; cf. pole-foot, ‘the hind end of a pole which goes into the cleaves of the futchels’ (Knight).

2

  One of the pieces of timber carrying or supporting the shafts, or pole, or splinter-bar of a carriage.

3

1794.  W. Felton, Carriages (1801), I. 50. The futchels are 2 light timbers fixed in The fore axeltree bed.

4

1851.  Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., I. 260. Friction plates attached to futchells.

5

1853.  Ure, Dict. Arts (ed. 4), II. 940. The futchel or socket for the pole of the carriage, must also be jointed to the middle of the fore-axletree bed and splinter bar.

6

1876.  Voyle, Mil. Dict. (ed. 3.), Futchels are strong pieces of wood or iron, three in number, uniting the splinter-bar and the axle-tree bed of a gun-carriage or limber.

7