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Before the 13 Amp "Square Pin" Plug.

I don't know why the pins were called "square" as they were more rectangular in the 13 Amp plug.


Anyway, before the 13 Amp plug was adopted, there was a new plug about the size of a 2 Amp 3 pin plug with round pins. It was fused. The fuses available for it were 2, 5, 10 and 13 Amps. The plug was rated at 13 Amps. 230 Volts but could cope with up to 15 Amps. 


Who can name the manufacturer of this new fused round pin plug?



Z.
  • Is this the one where the live pin was the fuse and had a distressing habit to snap off in the live hole of the socket ?

    M.
  • Dorman Smith made one in which the fuse WAS the live pin. One end of the fuse had a threaded portion that screwed into the body of the plug. 


    Wylex had an alternative design with the fuse contained within the body of the plug. This only had a round earth pin. The live and neutral pins were flat pins, similar to the pins on Wylex fuse holders for consumer units.
  • broadgage:

    Dorman Smith made one in which the fuse WAS the live pin. One end of the fuse had a threaded portion that screwed into the body of the plug. 


    Wylex had an alternative design with the fuse contained within the body of the plug. This only had a round earth pin. The live and neutral pins were flat pins, similar to the pins on Wylex fuse holders for consumer units.


    The firm where I served my time used DS plugs & sockets in the workshops


  • The correct answer is Dorman & Smith Ltd. according to my illustrated book entitled "Teach Yourself Building" by J. E. MacFarlane. Dated June 1945.


    Yes the fuse was the L pin and was screwed into place.


    Z.
  • Can you still get the fuses?


    WIth this plug being about the size of a 2amp 3 pin plug, it must have been a bit tight connecting on to the end of a flex for a 240v 2 or 3 kW electric fire?


    Finally, in "Teach Yourself Building", did J E MacFarlane refer to plugs, or plugtops?

    Clive
  • my recollection of them is that wiring them was indeed a pain, you had to form wire into a loop  around a stud and then tighten a nut down onto it. There was also a 3 phase plug of the same concept. though not I think from DS, with 4 pins, 3 of which were screw in fuses. We had them in labs at the university of York, though if you wanted 3 phase for more than a quick play the first thing that happened was that a BS4343 was fitted instead, as there was then a proper separated neutral and earth.

    M.
  • AncientMariner:

    Can you still get the fuses?


    WIth this plug being about the size of a 2amp 3 pin plug, it must have been a bit tight connecting on to the end of a flex for a 240v 2 or 3 kW electric fire?


    Finally, in "Teach Yourself Building", did J E MacFarlane refer to plugs, or plugtops?

    Clive


    Page 167 has an illustration showing the plug and removed fuse pin. This is an "Actual size photograph of domestic PLUG with fused pin withdrawn." Fig. 133.


    Plug size - approx. Body depth, front to back only, excluding pins 1 inch and 1/8th. Visible earth pin approx. 7/8th inch long. Height of plug body only, approx. 1 inch and 1/4.



    Z.


  • Like this?20181129_100751.jpg
  • I removed the above from a gentlemans ptoperty prior to rewire. Too good to chuck out. And a good story behind it.

    Lozmic
  • Looks like that example  too has a detached pin stuck in the socket instead of remaining in the plug.

    You can see why they discontinued them.

    M.