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Old 5th Aug 2021, 2:57 pm   #50
G6Tanuki
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,998
Default Re: Mains plug restoration

Thinking of shutters, I recall a particular style of mains-outlet a couple of decades back where the shuttering on the L and N sockets was by way of a sort-of nylon butterfly-device that pivoted on a spindle centred between the 2 sockets; there were small ramps moulded on the parts of the butterfly visible through the socket-holes and arranged that when you put a plug in the butterfly rotated on its spindle to allow the pins further inward access.

There was no involvement of the earth-pin in the shutter-opening.

Anyone else recall these sockets? I thought it was a rather cunning design, and would have made it a lot easier to develop an 'updated' lightweight version of the 13A plug with only two pins for use with the current profusion of double-insulated low-power devices where the need for an earth-pin to open the shutters just adds bulk and cost.
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