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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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21st Jan 2009, 10:40 am | #21 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
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Re: Old electrical fittings
In the '50s we used a different sort of 'universal' plug on our 'Primax' soldering irons. It had two fairly long thin pins that could be moved together or apart by pressing spring loaded buttons on either end of the plug. Most of the plugs in our area of Kent were two pin round 5, 10 or 15 amp. There were no 13a flat plugs until about 1960 but the new council estate did have the 13a round pin type with the live pin as a fuse as well as the Wylex plugs in the posh houses.
We still managed to use our universal two pin plugs after the advent of shuttered sockets, by sticking a screwdriver in the earth pin! |
21st Jan 2009, 2:15 pm | #22 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,288
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Re: Old electrical fittings
I remember those universal plugs with movable pins. There was one socket which they wouldn't fit though. One technician wired another plug in parallel and put the unused plug inside a plastic bag to provide insulation for the live pins!
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |