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Old 16th Oct 2010, 8:35 am   #101
twocvbloke
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tractorfan View Post
Hi,
I've got a Fitall plug here somewhere as well as a quick fit one. Or I had them. The Fitall plug was originally advertised as fitting 5 different sockets. It would fit a 5amp and a 15amp 2 pin socket as well by squeezing the sides of the body. The fuse was a pig to remove too.
Cheers de Pete
All I can say to that is "Ow!!! That hurt my thumb!!!", cos squeezing this plug so it's thinner isn't easy, but I guess if the plastic was a bit warmer it'd be easier...
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Old 16th Oct 2010, 8:14 pm   #102
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

I was reminded of a horrible "slimline" 13A plug design I recall seeing in 1977 when brand new, hence fairly recent. Can't recall the manufacturer.

They were a thin-ish plastic design one could bend easilly. The cover was held by two screws at each end.

Although satisfactory for the average thin flexed appliance, ignoring the fact the plugs were difficult to remove from the socket, the main trouble was, if a thick mains lead was used the body tended to bend as the cord grips were tightened with the result 1). It was difficult to replace the top cover and 2). It didn't fit too well into the wall socket!

I think they were rapidly discontinued when these problems came to light!

Brian
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Old 16th Oct 2010, 10:31 pm   #103
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

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Originally Posted by Focus Diode View Post
I was reminded of a horrible "slimline" 13A plug design I recall seeing in 1977 when brand new, hence fairly recent. Can't recall the manufacturer.
I think they were made by a company called 'Legrand' IIRC.

if it is they are still going today.

http://www.legrand.co.uk

Jan
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Old 17th Oct 2010, 1:02 pm   #104
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Hi,
They were made by Legrand but I've got one marked BICC (British Insulated Callenders Cables). They were often sold by local electricity boards and bore their logo on the back. The one I've got here is from MANWEB (Merseyside And North Wales Electricity Board). Maybe someone has collected each of the boards?
Cheers de Pete
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Old 5th Dec 2010, 11:24 am   #105
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Here come the Kliegls...

These four 1-inch sockets are on the side of a dimmer. The plug is a rectangular block with contacts either side. My finger is on the live contact, the neutral is opposite it (at the top). I've just found a 1/2-inch extension which I'll take some pics of to show how you can hold it by the live terminals.

Lucien
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Old 6th Dec 2010, 2:58 pm   #106
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Ouch and no shutters either!
Does that conform to ANY standards? How may thousands of amps is it rated for?
Cheers, Pete
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Old 6th Dec 2010, 5:07 pm   #107
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

That looks like the sort of thing people don't complain about, because if anyone ever had cause to complain, then there would not enough of them left to say much!
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Old 6th Dec 2010, 5:43 pm   #108
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Obviously someone is trying ot accelerate darwinism.
 
Old 7th Dec 2010, 12:42 am   #109
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Quote:
I was reminded of a horrible "slimline" 13A plug design I recall seeing in 1977 when brand new, hence fairly recent. Can't recall the manufacturer.
I think they were made by a company called 'Legrand' IIRC.
I liked those, and thought they looked quite neat. However I agree with the comments above in Post # 103 re. thick cables.
I have a few of these(a British Aerospace and a BBC one) with unsleeved, and sleeved pins, so they must have made quite a few of them!
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Old 7th Dec 2010, 6:58 pm   #110
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Hello Tim et al,

In their defence, the BBC slim 13A plug was very useful on a soldering iron in a crowded hand toolkit - I don't know how it might have been with a thick cable but used sensibly it was fine. All plugs had unsheathed pins and personally I never knew of any trouble with that. Indeed, I once used a nailfile - very carefully - to blow a ringmain fuse to allow me to get some rest and it worked beautifully but I couldn't have done it now!

Regards Ant
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Old 7th Dec 2010, 8:57 pm   #111
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Not much left of the nailfile, I'll wager. Reminds me of a guy I worked with who went on a residential course and was bothered by a persistently loud radio in the room nextdoor. Solution? A plug with the earth a neutral pin wired together. Shoved into a socket in his room and "pop", off went the RCD. Instant bliss. Until it was reset.

"Pop" . . .


Cheers, Pete
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Old 7th Dec 2010, 9:36 pm   #112
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

There's a certain elegance to the nailfile trick- probably no damage to anything other than the plug and file, which wouldn't be the case if a shorted plug was inserted "hot" or inserted and the socket switch operated
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Old 8th Dec 2010, 12:17 am   #113
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Hello Herald et al,

That's what I did - held the nailfile firmly in place then operated the switch. No tell-tale at all! That was a radio too, perhaps it was deliberate as I'd had a discussion with the landlady about breakfast - she felt that Mass was more important. I prevailed but it was so scrappy and burned that I changed my mind about confessing and offering to mend the fuse!

Sorry Mods, I'll shut up now...

Regards Ant
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Old 8th Dec 2010, 9:31 pm   #114
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

Had to make up some 28 way umbilicals recently for a hydraulic pack, see photo. Using Cannon Trident connectors, you have to remember to fit the backshell and locking ring first. The rub is that the connector is numbered (lettered actually) from the outside inwards whereas the cable is numbered from the inside outwards.
Luckily in this instance the core allocation didn't matter, though I did have a job convincing the lads on site I hadn't made up the allocation schedule.
Rob.
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Old 11th Dec 2010, 7:34 pm   #115
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Default Re: Award for the worst plug design goes to...

I think it's time to pull the plug on this thread.
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