Unusual BS1363 Socket Designs

[Zelandeth]

Here's something which has been rattling around my parts box for a good few years now, which I've kept meaning to investigate. Think this fits in pretty well with this section of the forum, given we've already had an interesting thread here on plug adaptors...

This was recovered from a house which was being refitted around 2000, having been empty for a good 20 years prior to that which was next door to where I used to live. In fact, we used to pop round every month or so prior to it being sold to just make sure that everything was in order. Only now do I curse the fact that I didn't snap more photos at the time and rehome more of the appliances and such that got skipped when the place was refitted...the skip was in our garden after all and I had permission from the owners (if not my parents!) at the time.

Okay, back on topic...

That house had obviously been converted from round pin sockets at some point, but it still had sockets in the typical round-pin location (well...seems to be typical around here anyway!), right down at floor level on the skirting board, rather than higher up the wall as seems to be common these days. I'm assuming that the unusual "landscape" format shape is due to its intended compatibility with the existing round-pin back boxes...Right idea, or completely wrong? I honestly can't remember what aspect ratio they tended to have. I know it was rectangular more similar to this than the square ones we have for single sockets these days.

All the sockets in that house however were like those in the attached picture, with the outlet angled to one side, and a "button" rather than a rocker switch (it actually is a rocker switch...but with a raised portion at each end protruding through the faceplate if you see what I mean) to control it. Has a nice positive click to it - more like the action of the old round bakelite light switches than the rocker switches on sockets seen today. The angled outlet makes a lot of sense given the location of the sockets, as the bottom of the faceplate was in most cases pretty much hard up against the floor - in the hallway in particular, pretty well buried in the lime-green shag pile carpet!

I assume when the square pin BS1363 standard was still a new thing that there were quite a lot of alternative designs out there until the ubiquitous MK and similar sockets all but blanketed the country, this must have been one of the less successful ones, as I've never seen another one!

Anyone else got any others similar to this, or other competing designs from the dawn of the square-pin plug era?

Will give this a clean up at some point and snap a couple of better photos then.

I did have a few more of these (in better condition too), unfortunately they went missing when our loft was cleared out last year...so have to assume that they got mistakenly thrown out...I'm now only left with one scruffy one with a chunk missing...Shame.

Despite being scruffy, it still works just fine though!

If I could find a backbox to fit it, would probably fit this to my lamp limiter so it could at least see some use then!

[AlanBeckett]

Fascinating.
We (family) moved into a 'new' house in 1955 which had 'modern' 13A sockets. They were surface mounted and radial wired with 7/029, one per room. I've been 'interested' in such things ever since and I've never seen anything like that
Alan

[Zelandeth]

Okay...having unearthed it again, decided that I'd spend five minutes cleaning it. Front panel of this is just held on by a couple of screws, and unlike many more modern designs, the switch doesn't sproing out and scatter bits all over the room.

The innards work fine - so all I did there as give it a blast with the canned air to blow out the dessicated spiders - Might attack the earth spring contact with some wet & dry paper at some point as it's a bit rusty.

Worth noting that this both lacks shutters for the L-N pins, and only switches the live side it appears.

Gave the case itself a quick scrub with some hot soapy water and a quick skim over with the Brasso - hasn't cleaned up too bad actually, though I'll need to work a bit more at getting the gloss paint off!

[Tim]

That IS an interesting socket.
" I thought I'd seen a few, but never one like that................"

Seriously though, it looks as though the second pic is looking "into" the socket(that is the way the plug goes in) but the cover is removed. You are right in saying it doesn't have shutters, there seems to be a "shutter activating ramp" and part of the shutter its-self in the earth connection, but the part that actually "shutters" (I believe the requirement for a shutter is part of the BS standard) has broken and gone missing at some time. Where it has gone though is anyones guess, and I don't think you'll be able to find a spare!

Is the switch push button? Push red for on and white for off?
Diagonal orientation of the plugged in plug is handy if you are mounting socket on skirting board, as was often done in days of yore.

[paulsherwin]

I've never seen those either. I believe the shuttering was part of the original BS1363 spec unlike the later plug sleeving, so the socket is either pre standard or 'modified' as Tim suggests.

My parents' house was rewired in the early 60s with skirting board mounted sockets replacing the original 15A 2 pin () arrangement, but these were of the conventional type.

Paul

[fidobsa]

I like things like that. I did quite a bit of rewiring in my cottage as it still had the old lead covered wiring + the kitchen sockets were wired to the lighting circuit . This neat little Wylex switch was used for the heated towel rail in the bathroom and I decided to keep it, although I should really have changed to a fused version:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/10...m/p1010026.jpg

The switch itself is in the kitchen, mounted the other side of the wall on which the towel rail is mounted.

[Zelandeth]

Second pic in post #3 is indeed looking into the socket when I had the face off for cleaning.

It does definitely look as though the bits necessary for a shutter mechanism are there - however there's no trace of the shutters themselves - wasn't hiding inside the unit anywhere, so has either never been included or has disappeared many years ago.

Looking at the patent number on the back of the unit, the patent number looks to have been issued in 1964. Sadly the number on the faceplate is directly behind the chunk that's missing! Regrettably there doesn't seem to be an electronic record held of the patent for the unit...would have been interesting to see if I could get any further info from that.

Tim, yes the switching is by push-button (actually a glorified rocker switch though!). Red for on, white for off.

Fibosa: Funny you posted that switch - The house in question had an identical switch in the kitchen....though I struggle to remember what it was for - think it was the water heater. If I remember rightly, the "off" legend is embossed in the end of the switch lever. Really nice positive action as I recall.

[Dave Moll]

I take the references to positive switch action to mean that the movement is sprung. As has been mentioned before on the forum, this was originally to achieve fast withdrawal of the connection to avoid drawing an arc in the days of DC supplies - not that I would expect these to have been intended for DC.

[Zelandeth]

Dave,

A very good point about DC, not so much for this socket (which is very clearly marked for A.C Only), but quite possibly relevant to the Wylex switch Fibosa mentions - as I recall it really does "snap" very firmly into the off position, while requiring quite a firm pull into the on position.

[Line whistle]

Hi,
I thought these pics maybe of interest,
Cheers,
Des.

[fidobsa]

Originally Posted by Zelandeth

Fibosa: Funny you posted that switch - The house in question had an identical switch in the kitchen....though I struggle to remember what it was for - think it was the water heater. If I remember rightly, the "off" legend is embossed in the end of the switch lever. Really nice positive action as I recall.

Yes, that's right about the "off" emblem, although I had never noticed until you pointed it out, as the switch is mounted very low down. I also never noticed the splashes of paint until I looked at the photo! Probably just made noticeable by the flash photography. The wall on which the switch is mounted is actually yellow, not white.

[Zelandeth]

Des: I've got a socketed cooker switch identical to that one, but with a BS1363 socket which I rescued from the house in question - it's in our shed however, and was in use until the contractor installing our new hot water cylinder oh so helpfully removed the wiring which used to go to the shed, assuming it to be redundant. The box is still in place though, used to have the cooker outlet switching the outside light there (500W halogen thing). Should really remove it and bring it inside now that it's no longer used I guess...the power supply having been gone for at least nine years and the light for half that!

Looks like the installation in those pictures has seen somewhat better days!

Still curious to see whether anyone's got any other oddities in terms of the common square-pin sockets we're so used to now though.

[jay_oldstuff]

if i can find it i have a interesting socket it's a larger than standard plate with a single BS1363 socket in the middle and to each side a 2amp 3pin socket if i can find it i'll take a pic.

Ps i have a socket just like the one in Line whistle's theard picture 3 i also have the BS1363 version that came out of my grans house in the mid 80's when it was rewired (used to run the fridge) which i re used later in our hall for a cordless phone.

I love anything like this, back when i was an electrition i'd often collect interesting bits and bobs (much to the amusement of my collegues) i was an industrial electrition but like most did a bit of house bashing on the side.

If i can find some pics i'll put them up.

Jay

PPs i am also an eurban explorer and come across lots of interesting sockets switches and the like on my explors.

[jay_oldstuff]

As promised, pics
did'nt remember them quite right but not bad.
the second one is quight interesting, has anyone seen one before? the rectangle on the plate is a fuse for the 2amp sockets.

Jay

[AlanBeckett]

Jay,
You are right, the first and third ones are pretty normal. However, the second one is wonderful. Hang on to it. It will make a splendid panel for the workshop.
Alan

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by jay_oldstuff

As promised, pics

Hope you don't come onto the 'telecomms' section complaining that your telephones won't work properly.

I've seen worse than that as well!

[Zelandeth]

Okay, pic number 2 there Jay is definitely an odd one! Third one we had a few of still in situ in our last house, though I think they were actually redundant after the place was rewired.

Never seen anything even vaguely like the square/round pin combination socket there before though! Wonder when that dates from. Who's it made by? One of the major companies (i.e. Mem, MK, Crabtree etc) or one we've never heard of?

[jay_oldstuff]

unfortuenetely it has no makers name on it, just a brithish patent no 577582 and that it conforms to B.S.S 1363 for 13amp and B.S.S 546 for 2 amp it has a tiny MEM 5 amp fuse fitted guess this has replaced a 2 amp one in the past.

Jay

[dseymo1]

My guess is that it was made as a replacement to 'modernise' a 15A socket.
The original socket would typically be used with an adapter which allowed a couple of lamps to be used as well as a heater, etc. This 3-way plate would retain that facility neatly. Rather strange how the switch is placed just where it would be obscured by the appliance cable, though.

[jay_oldstuff]

i's not a switch it's a 5amp fuse

jay