Any ideas on this plug socket?

[Luxman1050]

Anyone got any ideas what this was used for?
Ashley plug female 10amp with metal springed earth strap in middle.

[stuarth]

Looks like it’s off a kettle.

[Luxman1050]

Funny enough I thought it could be or for an urn? Maybe 1970s? Mind you it would need to be big as it's quite large.

[paulsherwin]

It's probably earlier than the 70s. It looks like one of a number of connectors common before IEC connectors became standard, used primarily for kettles but also for other appliances such as tea urns and water boilers.

[Skywave]

If I stretch my memory back over several decades, I think I recognise that plug as the type supplied for a Swan kettle - and they weren't 'large'.

Al.

[paulsherwin]

Yes, I think Swan used that one and Russell Hobbs used a different round one.

[ajgriff]

Some info about the company that probably made the plug:

Ashley Accessories Ltd. Company founded in 1923 in Liverpool, initially registered as Ashley Wireless and Telephone Co. In 1935 the company changed its name to Ashley Accessories Ltd. Production moved to Ulverton, Cumbia. In 1980 Ashley was merged with Rock Accessories. For a period products were branded Rock Ashley. From 1998 Ashley is a part of the German Hager Group (Hager UK in Telford). Ashley still produces a full range of socketss, switches, lampholders and junction boxes.

Must have been for some sort of device involving boiling I guess.

Alan

[raditechman]

I remember them being used on electric smoothing irons.

John

[hilitevr]

I seem to remenber that in my early years as a radio repair apprentice in the 1940's that these were used on the old electric smoothing irons, which in those days didn't have temp control. as the yougest member of staff I used to get lumbered with repairing all manner of electrical items.

[Skywave]

Originally Posted by raditechman

I remember them being used on electric smoothing irons.

Ah yes! Agreed. That brings back a forgotten memory. A yellow and black case with a 'bird's beak' pointer knob to adjust the temperature. Circa 1960 - 1965.

Al.

[Luxman1050]

Cheers Guys nice bit of history there. I was gonna offer it up for free excluding postage but I dare say I cannot see anyone needing it. But if by some miracle someone does PM me and it's yours can post be 3 quid royal mail 2nd class.

But again thanks for all your input.

Cheers Chris

[Terry_VK5TM]

Similar shape and size was very common in New Zealand for jugs (kettle's) when we arrived there in the mid 60's.

They continued on for quite a while and were solid performers, my mother only recently got rid of her NZ purchased jug (purchased late 60's) because the replaceable element was no longer available.

[G6Tanuki]

Yes I recall them (or similar) being used on irons. On some versions the cable positioning could be altered so it came out at a 45-degree angle rather than straight out the back of the connector.

[McMurdo]

russell hobbs were using ashley kettle connectors into the early 80's. Wikipedia has an entry under 'appliance plug'.

[G8UWM-MildMartin]

It is a BS 562 appliance connector.
The rating was amended from the original 1934 7.5A to 10A in 1958, along with improvements to the earthing contact(s) (I think they changed from single sided to double sided) and the British Standard was withdrawn in 1987.

[Techman]

If you saw my recent vintage vacuum cleaner thread, you'd have seen that I posted pictures of three of these connectors on there. I found that they're not all exactly the same size as regards pin spacing and 'fatness', so are not necessarily interchangeable. I've just remembered that I've got yet another version on an old flat (clothes) iron, but it's buried in the loft at the moment.

I'll post the picture from the other thread of the three connectors. The two outer ones are for the vintage kettles the middle one is for the vintage cleaner and doesn't have the side earth contact:-

[Lancs Lad]

Nice (and quite unusual) to see what appears to be a Duraplug with an intact cable entry! (see post#1, pic 1)

Most of the ones I've ever seen have been sliced because whoever fitted the plug forgot to thread the lid onto the cable first.

We've all done it, haven't we.....?

[Oldmadham]

Originally Posted by cdm1christopher

Anyone got any ideas what this was used for?
Ashley plug female 10amp with metal springed earth strap in middle.

Very similar ones were very common in Australian "electric kettles" & "electric jugs"(the latter were made of china like ordinary jugs, & were very popular in Oz)
All the "new" electric irons I saw as a kid had permanently connected cords, but Mum had some old "dead" prewar ones with the matching connector.

They had nice heavy bottoms, so she used them in lieu of "flat irons", heating them on top of the "Metters No 2" wood stove,
Being "in the bush"(It's an outer suburb, now!) we had no electricity.

Somewhat later, "Electric frypans" had a similar, but larger connector.

[Rubberfingers]

My parents used to have a connector like this on a coffee percolator, which had been a wedding present when they married in 1960

[Brigham]

Sometimes this forum makes me feel terribly old.