Award for the worst plug design goes to...

[Colourstar]

We've all been there.... You've just finished carefully wiring a new rubber plug to the Hoover when.... Doh! Yet again you forgot to thread the plug top along the cable first. A little piece of design that has claimed countless victims over the years. But what others have we seen?

Clang dropped a clanger in the 60s with this helpful design, in which the fuse is carried externally in a hinged compartment secured by a sliding brass clip. Over the years this gets loose and suddenly you are playing hunt-the-3amp fuse on a patterned red carpet. Or you just shut the carrier without checking and find the appliance is mysteriously dead. Must have caused the occasional engineer to be called out unnecessarily over the years.

I know the design makes for easy fuse changing, but did you really need to change a fuse that often?

The first picture shows the plug as it should be, the second shows it in it's natural state, complete with escaping fuse.

Any other contenders for this prestigious award?

Steve J

[Peter.N.]

The first 13a plugs I saw had round pins and the live pin was a screw in fuse, they were used on an estate near us built just after the war.

[Station X]

Wylex I think? Terrible things. The fuse would break in half leaving a short length of live fuse wire protruding from the socket. They became exceedingly expensive in the 1960s prompting a change to regular 13A sockets. Used on council estates in Norwich. I think the manufacturers must have sold these at knock down prices to local councils.

And the (live) pin could stay in the socket, ohhhh....

I have a Pakistani made modern 15A plug and socket, you can put any pin into the live socket. This is probably the least dangerous part of the design.

Or (I have no photo) a plug that was the same dimensions as an IEC inlet with no shroud, great for plugging into dedicated sockets with a large surround. But you could plug it into an IEC lead too with all the failings of the 15A pair I posted with the added advantage of being able to leave it connected. I remember these from my appretice days at Pye. I think they where made by Rendar.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
Those plugs with round pins were made by D.S. not Wylex. I've a few D.S. plugs here including a two way adaptor and a three phase 15amp plug & socket with three screw in fuses.
Wylex plugs had a large hollow earth pin and two thin flat pins for live & neutral. One pin was offset from the centre line to make it non reversible.
Cheers de Pete

[yampy187]

Those Duraplug rubber plugs were the worst for me . In the end I would just cut the piece of rubber with a Stanley blade and slip it over the flex.

Also, I forgot to add, the two way Duraplug extension sockets were a pain for that too.

[jay_oldstuff]

the duraplug rubber plugs are still currient in 15Amp form in theatres and are the bain of my life, number of times i've wired one only to spot the top sitting on the bench mocking me, and no you cant just cut the rubber as that would be a PAT test failure.

slightely OT but one i came across in a traid publication recentely was that the clover leaf connector as used on many laptops etc fits a male XLR this was discovered at a conferience when someone plugged an SM58 into a cloverleaf lead left on a lecturn and receved a very nasty shock.

Jay

[Peter.N.]

When I was a kid our house was wired entirely with two pin plugs with no shutters - but I survived. It was only built just before me.

Peter

[threeseven]

Don't have it to hand but when I was a kid we had a multiple adaptor plug that was supposed to enable it to plug into any socket, 2 or 3 pin, square or round ! The pins somehow all telescoped into each other and you selected the configuration you needed and then, well that was it, then nothing because I never did find a way to lock the selected pins into position for use !! Now thats frustrating, because I can't recall it's exact arrangement, the maker or how it looked ! Will just have to unearth it next time I'm over at the family home !

Originally Posted by jay_oldstuff

slightely OT but one i came across in a traid publication recentely was that the clover leaf connector as used on many laptops etc fits a male XLR this was discovered at a conferience when someone plugged an SM58 into a cloverleaf lead left on a lecturn and receved a very nasty shock.

Jay

I can see that fitting, and have just tried it (not connected), bit of a shove needed but it fits and one of the power (I don't think which one is defined in these connectors) conductors goes to the XLR ground. Nasty.

[Peter.N.]

There was another type of much more useful plug that I had on my 'Primax' instant heat solder gun, it had two thin spring loaded pins that were adjustable in distance apart by pressing a spring loaded button on each side, part of the live pins often projected beyond the socket - but they were very useful.

Peter

[Leon Crampin]

Originally Posted by threeseven

Don't have it to hand but when I was a kid we had a multiple adaptor plug that was supposed to enable it to plug into any socket, 2 or 3 pin, square or round ! The pins somehow all telescoped into each other and you selected the configuration you needed and then, well that was it, then nothing because I never did find a way to lock the selected pins into position for use !! Now thats frustrating, because I can't recall it's exact arrangement, the maker or how it looked ! Will just have to unearth it next time I'm over at the family home !

I've got one of these amazing plugs. To lock the selected pins, you just "unscrew" them - the lower end of each pin is threaded and locks into an internal plate.

Brilliant device - should be in all anti-Nanny kits.

Leon.

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Peter.N.

When I was a kid our house was wired entirely with two pin plugs with no shutters - but I survived. It was only built just before me.

Many 1930s houses were originally wired with 2 pin 15A sockets, and it was impossible to connect earthed appliances safely. Usually the earth wire was just cut short inside the plugs

Fortunately they were all replaced in the 60s as part of the mass rewiring to replace the original rubber shrouded cable.

Paul

[Oldtestgear]

A strong contender must be the cheapo Chinese plugs sold with some computer peripherals -- the ones that fit a standard 13A socket but are unfused & small. Must be incredibly dangerous as well as illegal. Still saved some manufacturer a penny or so............

Phil

[Ian E G7OLT]

I would like to nominate the two-pin 5A 'Clix' plug. Anyone remember them?

Unscrew the cover to reveal the two pins. The pins slid up and down in the base and had a hole at the top. Push a wire into the hole, push the pin down into the base to hold the wire and secure by screwing down the cover. Lethal things.

[Alan Stepney]

Anyone remember them?

Still got some and occasionally use them. Ideal for a quick connection when the safeblok is occupied or elsewhere.

[Dave Moll]

For anyone who doesn't remember them, here's a reminder:

[Brian R Pateman]

They were used regularly in many radio and TV workshops before the days of the "Safeblock".

A large number of customers would remove the plug before send in their set in for repair. Presumably they thought we'd nick the plug.