I'm sure we've all got these lurking in our workshops, some collecting dust and some in use. If I show you mine, will you show me yours? Back in the day I would have got a clip round the ear for that! ?
Here's some of mine.
The first couple have company logos, I wonder if any other companies did this, like Radio Rentals, Rediffusion, Multibroadcast etc.
First up is one attached to a Philips N1500 I bought from a departed ex BBC engineers family. He had adapted the power lead, one end into the machine was XLR, the other end a BBC 3-pin. (repair of the N1500 still continues). As an interesting aside, this ex BBC chap had something to do with "Titles". I got the VCR but someone else managed to bag all his 1500 tapes with examples of his work.
Next up is a Granada plug, this is plugged into my ISO/TX feeding an isolation socket on my bench panel.
That leads neatly on to the main bench input panel, this has all manner of sockets.
Finally, some of the bits-'N'-bobs in the spare plug-'N'-socket draw.
Well there you go, my little collection, anyone have any company branded plugs or interesting types to share with us?
I have virtually no old plugs and sockets, the one socket I have is 50 years old. Taken out of service 10 years ago and replaced with a double socket to power a stair lift and oxygen machine. The stairlift was never installed, Anita died and the company returned the deposit and the oxygen machine was collected by the NHS.
The socket is perfectly serviceable, fitted with the new build house 1970, make Tenby.
I’ll have to go digging in the deepest darkest depths of my store cupboard! I was actually just getting to it to clear it out of crap, I’ve cleared under the workshop sink today after fitting a new waste pipe yesterday... anyway, plugs! I had used old 5A round pin ones in my old workshop purely for the 24V DC solar supply, and I’ve continued that into this workshop, sourcing vintage plugs and sockets, just because they looked nice!
I haven’t got any with interesting logos on them, but I do have plenty of old brown Bakelite ones, I’ve got a green plug somewhere! I’m sure it’s on a green radio, or could even be on the Pye PV110. Most interesting is a wooden box with 8 round pin 5A sockets on it, some fuse holders, and labels saying something like ‘distribution board for OB use’ I guessed that OB stood for outside broadcast, so that in itself could be something interesting! I’ll get some pictures taken 🙂
The only plug I have that's worthy of comment is in the way you access the fuse without the need to a screwdriver to remove the top cover, also it's not the usual 1" but a 500mm size. To access it you bend down the live pin which is hinged, sorry but can't recall the make and no pics at the moment it's in storage with most of my other stuff.
There's a few "manufacturers" plugs here - I have a Hotpoint-branded MK "safetyplug" but I also have an example of that plug much loved by councils in many parts of the UK, the "Wylex". These are fused with a little BS 546 fuse and have a tubular earth pin with two slim rectangular pins disposed on opposite sides.
I've dug out the box of plugs from the cupboard, there were quite a few in there!
Probably nothing really interesting, lots of MK white and brown round pin jobbies, but a small selection caught my eye as unusual, First up, The 'radio interference suppressor plug' made by 'Tucker', not heard of them before. The plug itself looks like any other round pin 5A sort, but side on it's quite a bit fatter, and when you remove the cover there are capacitors potted in bitumen under a piece of Paxolin with 3 springy terminals.
Then there is one in unusual shape made by Temco',
A couple of fairly plain plugs, one branded 'Hercules', the other 'Permaplug'
A round one with GEC on it, looks a very old logo, looks like an upturned U with a wire wrapped round it (bit hard to see in the photo)
Then there is one by 'CLIX', which has a bulge on the back of it, just for a change from ones with flat backs I suppose!
Now a change to 13A, how about this 'Walsall gauge' plug? Notice anything unusual about it?!
That's it for the plugs from the box, but there are a few vintage electrical fittings in use around the workshop, the main workshop lights are switched by 2 vintage round Bakelite switches, as well as the 24V bench lighting switched by another round switch (Crabtree).
and in that cupboard, where the box of plugs is kept, there is an old pull switch in brown Bakelite for some lights in the cupboard
And a 5A round pin socket supplying power via a 3 way adapter!
Haha! I think a lot of them came from another forum member on UKVRRR, who was having a clear out! Others came from random buys from the NVCF, and some from my Grandad's shed when it was cleared.
i've had a dig through the archives and found some photo's of the distribution board that I previously mentioned,
no idea when or where it was used, or who by! I spotted it at the Newark antiques fair many years ago! Shame about the 2 missing sockets though. I cleaned it up and gave it a few coats of Danish oil, as it was in a disgusting state when I got it.
I'm sure we've all got these lurking in our workshops, some collecting dust and some in use. If I show you mine, will you show me yours? Back in the day I would have got a clip round the ear for that! ?
Here's some of mine.
The first couple have company logos, I wonder if any other companies did this, like Radio Rentals, Rediffusion, Multibroadcast etc.
First up is one attached to a Philips N1500 I bought from a departed ex BBC engineers family. He had adapted the power lead, one end into the machine was XLR, the other end a BBC 3-pin. (repair of the N1500 still continues). As an interesting aside, this ex BBC chap had something to do with "Titles". I got the VCR but someone else managed to bag all his 1500 tapes with examples of his work.
Sadly I didn't remove any, but in my old studio some of those BBC plugs had the 'BBC' sanded off and the plug engraved with the circuits they fed inside a bay of equipment.
Not forgetting the "Store Branded" plugs! I'll bet most of can rustle one up? - I should have at least one "CandL" (Cussins & Light) and a "Currys". Also, alongside the like of 'MK' we used to have a 3 into 1 socket adaptor branded as "Klang" - remember those? Also "Nettle Brand" and "Ediswan". I remember a few "Crabtree" and I believe I have a Crabtree 13A socket on a post, outside! - Oh, and though it long since fried and died, my granddad once had one of those newfangled "Fit-All" plugs. . . Yeah, the original "fire (on the end of your) wire" plug - especially if you were using the 13A set of pins at anything like a decent load.
From Lloyd's collection, I've only ever seen one of those "Tucker" radio frequency interference suppressor plugs - it was on our KB-ER30 that we bought in 1969.
It was "Clang", Marion. Got a few here. No fuse in them though for the 5A sockets, unlike the bigger MK adaptors. There was also a roughly pyramid-shaped adaptor by WG, which was a 2/5A socket at the top and two 13A sockets below - it either had 13A or 15A pins.
I also have a plug (Temco?) where the whole cover forms the cord grip as well.
Also, let's not forget the sleeved pin Crabtree plugs (sleeved pins were optional in the original BS 546 spec) with the groove in the earth pin which, in conjunction with the appropriate socket, prevented you from inserting or withdrawing the plug whilst the switch was 'on'.
Here is a Wylex 5A plug and 15A plug/adaptor (will take the 5A plug), these were often found in pre-fab houses where the electrical system was supplied in kit form with aluminium cables, these were replaced when the houses were rewired with copper cable.
Here is a Wandsworth "sparkless" plug, it latches the earth pin with a mechanism in the outlet power switch preventing withdrawal when switched on, used in operating theaters when flammable and explosive anesthetic gases were in use, lasted until about the mid 'nineties.
Here's a few wooden electrical items, from left to right:
Wooden pendant lightswitch, Wooden 5 amp 2 pin plug double adaptor, Wooden BC plug for running electrical appliances from a lampholder (usually used with a BC double adaptor, not shown).
I got these from a table top sale at the Vintage Wireless and Television Museum in Dulwich, London, where there are many more on display. These date from the early days of electricity (the early 1900s) presumably from a time before plastics like Bakelite had become widely available and cheaper than wood.
Oh, and though it long since fried and died, my granddad once had one of those newfangled "Fit-All" plugs. . . Yeah, the original "fire (on the end of your) wire" plug - especially if you were using the 13A set of pins at anything like a decent load.
I remember seeing one on equipment used in my primary school in 1977, it was on a machine that used flashcards with words and pictures and a magnetic strip - you would put them through the machine and it would read out what was on them (the school had one part with 13A sockets and the other still with round pin so this was used when moving the equipment around classrooms)
This may be sailing close to the "no politics" rule, but it's all nostalgia now anyway, in the mid nineties the EU was keen to introduce the standard CENELEC plug across Europe including the UK and Ireland, I can remember there was a lot of column inches devoted to this in ERT at the time and I think Crabtree and MK were very much opposed, it was obviously all abandoned, anyone else remember this ?
I remember those Ashley plugs! When we lived in Chimney Pot Park (Salford) we had round pin plugs. There were two in the living room - telly & a standard lamp.
In November 1972 we moved to Swinton and the house had modern square pin sockets, the local council kindly gave us a brand new box of twelve Ashley plugs. At the time I bet we didn't have more than half a dozen electrical items. In fact I'm betting we had the TV, electric iron & hairdryer.
We soon had an electric kettle, radiogram and a magicoal electric fire.
I've had a soft spot for Ashley plugs because my Gran seemed to have them on all her appliances. I remember she said they were from the Curry's in Melton Mowbray.
I should put it on my Pye set which is almost the same model as the one she had at her caravan.
I remember the Ediswan 2 pin round plugs being highly sought after early in my apprenticeship at an RBM dealers workshop, the were used as a sort of Safebloc/Keynector but certainly not safe.
If the plug was non-standard such as a Wylex it was removed and the bare wires were inserted into the slots in the pins then pushed into a socket. ?
I’m not sure but they may also have been branded Clix?
