Plug identification

[Alan Bain]

Hi,

I'm trying to identify a socket on a swiss grinding machine - three pin with threaded locking ring, but the last place I saw anthing similar was on a miliary radio set. Any leads (in particular for where I might look for the mating connector!) would be most welcome!

Obviously I could replace it with something conventional, but too many years of restoring radio sets makes this anaethema!

Alan

[AC/HL]

It looks like a Niphan connector, typically used for outdoor applications: https://www.lpa-group.com/product/ni...0Transport%20+

[turretslug]

Very recognisably a Niphan, and also a very long-running British connector, so may have been a retro-fit anyway- always possible that the Swiss decided that it was good enough for them originally, though. Beware if using a NOS/second-hand one that a large number were made with L and N markings transposed at one point- maybe an apprentice had loaded insulator blanks into the wrong jigs or something. They should have the same orientation as 13A domestic plugs and many others.

[Alan Bain]

Thanks - that does indeed look like a perfect match for the connector! Now I need to try and find one that is affordable!

[philthespark]

Originally Posted by Alan Bain

Thanks - that does indeed look like a perfect match for the connector! Now I need to try and find one that is affordable!

Just a wild stab, but you don't happen to know anyone who works at a racecourse do you?
Now the reason I ask is this, some years ago I worked for a company repairing the 'teletubbies' the trucks used at race meetings that are basically a massive tv screen. anyway another part of the job was adjusting, testing and repairing the starting gates, they had the same plug and socket on them to link them together, iirc, they are in modules of 10 gates and they link them together to make bigger gates for more horses.
The only other place I used them was on machines at Pilkingtons glass plants, If you knew someone at either of these places they may be able to aquire you one.

[Lucien Nunes]

They can be found in diverse applications, especially of a heavy duty infrastructure or military nature. e.g. I have them in use on a 1931 projector, a 1945 searchlight generator, some 1950s floodlights etc, and an identical type can sometimes be seen feeding lighting in tube stations.

There have been cheaper replicas sold for marine use that look interchangeable although I have never tried them for compatibility and cannot vouch for whether you can get an inlet configuration (i.e. cable female to fit chassis male) or the right shell size. E.g.
Trem 3-pin google image search