Interesting 13A Plug - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

russell_w_b · 2nd Jan 2011, 11:00 pm

Well, I think it is, never having seen one before... It's an 'MK' BS1363 13A plug - with a built-in single pole switch. I 'won' it from a friend who had it attached to a 'Belling' parabolic two-element fire, although I can't say if it is contemporaneous.

AndiiT · 2nd Jan 2011, 11:11 pm

Hi,
I have a couple of these in my plug collection, I think that mine may be the slightly smaller variants without the side flanges.
Many years ago a friends auntie had a plug identical to yours attached to her washing machine.

Andrew

Richard · 2nd Jan 2011, 11:24 pm

Hi

I have one, on my Advance Type H1B or HIB? AF signal generator which has a missing on/off switch.

Richard

PS it has "AF Sig Gen" written across the back in permanent marker - am I bad ?

Darren-UK · 2nd Jan 2011, 11:35 pm

I've got a brown one, otherwise identical. They're not uncommon and can be found by rummaging through boxes of electrical bits at boot sales and flea markets.

Jamie-Skinner · 2nd Jan 2011, 11:44 pm

I've got plenty similar but without the switch

russell_w_b · 3rd Jan 2011, 1:14 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie-Skinner

I've got plenty similar but without the switch

So have I, but I've never seen a switched one! Interestingly, when our house was rewired with 13A sockets in the early 1960s, many of them weren't switched, so I guess these plugs would complement them.

Wonder if they were more popular in some parts of the country than others - some types of round-pins, for example, were used in council-housing rewiring work in some areas; not in others.

- Or maybe I've just had a sheltered upbringing with regard to the 13A plug!

Jamie-Skinner · 3rd Jan 2011, 3:24 pm

Our house still has round pin plugs in place... it's 50's so not that old... But yeah, never seen a switched plug altough then plug sockets were unswitched?

ppppenguin · 3rd Jan 2011, 3:53 pm

As Darren said, they're not very rare. I've got a brown one that I've owned from new, bought when I was a kid. May have a couple more lurking. i've seen other examples since and not taken much notice of them.

They raise the question about why we in the UK regard switching off as so important. In many countries including the US and much of Europe sockets are normally unswitched. Stuff is either unplugged or left plugged in and turned off at the appliance.

Tractorfan · 3rd Jan 2011, 4:52 pm

Hi,
I've got about half a dozen MK switched plugs here that I brought with me. I've also got two W&G examples from Woolworths that have a "rocker" type switch and a neon. Oddly, I've seen far fewer of these W&G ones than the MK ones. Anyone else got one?
Cheers, Pete

Ian - G4JQT · 3rd Jan 2011, 5:12 pm

Yes, I have one too. Should last for years and is very useful when plugged into an un-switched extension block.

I think it has a little red triangular pointer under the retaining screw indicating whether it has a 3, 5 or 13-amp fuse fitted.

It is much better constructed than the modern equivalent which, although has a neon indicator, seems to have very feeble construction by comparison.

Regards,

Ian

AndiiT · 3rd Jan 2011, 6:56 pm

Having just had a rummage through my plug and socket collection, for other reasons than this thread, I have found two black MK switched plugs without the side flanges, as I mentioned earlier, and one identical to Russells white one shown in the picture.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tractorfan

.... I've also got two W&G examples from Woolworths that have a "rocker" type switch and a neon....

I used to have a WG plug identical to the one that Pete mentions, which had a rocker switch and a neon, it was connected to my parents Fidelity playmaster tape recorder for some time.

Andrew

dseymo1 · 3rd Jan 2011, 7:11 pm

I have a few here, some with 'full-height' flanges, and others with vestigial flanges near the L & N pins. Were these flanges an early attempt to address the same issue which is now dealt with by partially-sheathed pins?

Tractorfan · 3rd Jan 2011, 9:00 pm

Hi,
Here's a pic of my W&G switched plugs, one with the cover off and a W&G 7amp fuse fitted. Also shown is a Duraplug 4 way plug with a neon, possibly designed when audio separates were all the rage back in the 70s. Top right is a Sunvic Regulator type ERP-X simmerstat plug. Probably meant for those old fashioned table top boiling rings.
The flanges, or finger shields are indeed to prevent ones fingers sliding towards the pins. Mind you, plugs with sleeved pins still have the flanges.
Cheers, Pete

pichacker · 21st Jan 2011, 2:02 pm

The bottom left one in your photo with the central switch and neon brings back chilling memories. I had one of these as a kid, bought from woolies, fitted to my "Remploy" soldering iron. Without warning one day it spontaneously combusted with a large plume of sparks and flames exiting from the bottom scortching the wall.

I ran for the consumer unit to isolate it. By the time I returned then plug was a chared mess. My dad was not too happy with having to re decorate either!!

2nd Jan 2011, 11:00 pm	#1
russell_w_b Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK. Posts: 3,687	Interesting 13A Plug Well, I think it is, never having seen one before... It's an 'MK' BS1363 13A plug - with a built-in single pole switch. I 'won' it from a friend who had it attached to a 'Belling' parabolic two-element fire, although I can't say if it is contemporaneous. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Regds, Russell W. B. G4YLI.

2nd Jan 2011, 11:11 pm	#2
AndiiT Octode Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Saltburn-East, Cleveland, UK. Posts: 1,786	Re: Interesting 13A Plug Hi, I have a couple of these in my plug collection, I think that mine may be the slightly smaller variants without the side flanges. Many years ago a friends auntie had a plug identical to yours attached to her washing machine. Andrew

2nd Jan 2011, 11:24 pm	#3
Richard Heptode Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Garnant, near Ammanford, South Wales, UK. Posts: 657	Re: Interesting 13A Plug Hi I have one, on my Advance Type H1B or HIB? AF signal generator which has a missing on/off switch. Richard PS it has "AF Sig Gen" written across the back in permanent marker - am I bad ? __________________ BVWS member.

2nd Jan 2011, 11:35 pm	#4
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Interesting 13A Plug I've got a brown one, otherwise identical. They're not uncommon and can be found by rummaging through boxes of electrical bits at boot sales and flea markets.

2nd Jan 2011, 11:44 pm	#5
Jamie-Skinner Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Posts: 46	Re: Interesting 13A Plug I've got plenty similar but without the switch

3rd Jan 2011, 3:24 pm	#7
Jamie-Skinner Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Posts: 46	Re: Interesting 13A Plug Our house still has round pin plugs in place... it's 50's so not that old... But yeah, never seen a switched plug altough then plug sockets were unswitched?

3rd Jan 2011, 3:53 pm	#8
ppppenguin Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 6,168	Re: Interesting 13A Plug As Darren said, they're not very rare. I've got a brown one that I've owned from new, bought when I was a kid. May have a couple more lurking. i've seen other examples since and not taken much notice of them. They raise the question about why we in the UK regard switching off as so important. In many countries including the US and much of Europe sockets are normally unswitched. Stuff is either unplugged or left plugged in and turned off at the appliance.

3rd Jan 2011, 4:52 pm	#9
Tractorfan Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.) Posts: 3,183	Re: Interesting 13A Plug Hi, I've got about half a dozen MK switched plugs here that I brought with me. I've also got two W&G examples from Woolworths that have a "rocker" type switch and a neon. Oddly, I've seen far fewer of these W&G ones than the MK ones. Anyone else got one? Cheers, Pete __________________ "Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..."

3rd Jan 2011, 5:12 pm	#10
Ian - G4JQT Octode Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Reading/Fakenham, UK. Posts: 1,323	Re: Interesting 13A Plug Yes, I have one too. Should last for years and is very useful when plugged into an un-switched extension block. I think it has a little red triangular pointer under the retaining screw indicating whether it has a 3, 5 or 13-amp fuse fitted. It is much better constructed than the modern equivalent which, although has a neon indicator, seems to have very feeble construction by comparison. Regards, Ian Attached Thumbnails

3rd Jan 2011, 7:11 pm	#12
dseymo1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK. Posts: 3,051	Re: Interesting 13A Plug I have a few here, some with 'full-height' flanges, and others with vestigial flanges near the L & N pins. Were these flanges an early attempt to address the same issue which is now dealt with by partially-sheathed pins?

3rd Jan 2011, 9:00 pm	#13
Tractorfan Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.) Posts: 3,183	Re: Interesting 13A Plug Hi, Here's a pic of my W&G switched plugs, one with the cover off and a W&G 7amp fuse fitted. Also shown is a Duraplug 4 way plug with a neon, possibly designed when audio separates were all the rage back in the 70s. Top right is a Sunvic Regulator type ERP-X simmerstat plug. Probably meant for those old fashioned table top boiling rings. The flanges, or finger shields are indeed to prevent ones fingers sliding towards the pins. Mind you, plugs with sleeved pins still have the flanges. Cheers, Pete Attached Thumbnails __________________ "Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..."

21st Jan 2011, 2:02 pm	#14
pichacker Hexode Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Essex, UK. Posts: 370	Re: Interesting 13A Plug The bottom left one in your photo with the central switch and neon brings back chilling memories. I had one of these as a kid, bought from woolies, fitted to my "Remploy" soldering iron. Without warning one day it spontaneously combusted with a large plume of sparks and flames exiting from the bottom scortching the wall. I ran for the consumer unit to isolate it. By the time I returned then plug was a chared mess. My dad was not too happy with having to re decorate either!!