Slimline 13A Plug

[SUNRAY]

Looked for a pic and found this!

John says it is sleeved and live terminal is different.

Legrand yellow plastic 13A plug

Bright yellow plastic 13A plug with sleeved pins by Legrand

flameport.com

Ah yes, and the reason they lost favour with me. That's the later version where I found the wire holes are smaller and 2.5mm² was not as easy and the fuse clip had been degraded to a riveted clip and never as 'efficient' as the original and the price shot up

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Ah yes, and the reason they lost favour with me. That's the later version where I found the wire holes are smaller and 2.5mm² was not as easy and the fuse clip had been degraded to a riveted clip and never as 'efficient' as the original and the price shot up

On the plus side, they were much more compact, lighter, than the standard plugs, unbreakable, and so were great for highly portable equipment, especially test equipment - until fitted plugs came along.

 

[SUNRAY]

On the plus side, they were much more compact, lighter, than the standard plugs, unbreakable, and so were great for highly portable equipment, especially test equipment - until fitted plugs came along.

We used to get them from the wholesaler and I'd like to say something like half the price of MK suddenly they jumped to way above the price of an MK which I think was around the time of decimalisation. For a short while we used some other nylon plugs instead but then they vanished.

 

[securespark]

Legrand is what I was going to say. Often seen at car boot sales. I have one if you would like it.

Thank you kindly, but the issue has been averted.

 

[securespark]

They were one of my favourites for a while, very secure and took a 2.5mm cable with ease and 2 screws so added safety. I may still have some on unused amplifiers etc.

I'd only seen white, black and red before encountering that green one a few years ago in a rental property tripping RCD (look how it's wired!) I very well may still have it if it's wanted.

As per the above, I no longer need a slimline plug due to a rethink of layout, but thanks for the offer.

 

[AndyPRK]

h I think was around the time of decimalisation.

I had no idea they were that old? I remember them in the 80's. Must be the later version

 

[AdrianUK]

I had no idea they were that old? I remember them in the 80's. Must be the later version

The first time I saw one of these plugs I was at Infant school (circa 1972) .... it was fitted to what I now know to be 'Baby Belling' desktop cooker in the corner of the school hall. It was so very different to all the other plugs that I'd seen so the younger me decided that it must be some kind of 'cooker plug'.

That was the first one I'd seen & I didn't see any again until probably the mid 1980s when I happened to spot some for sale in a store. I bought a few, including a couple of red ones which looked very 'funky' and unusual at the time.

I still have a few (one is on my weller soldering iron) & at least one is in everyday use (let's not worry about the lack of sleeved pins.... I think I'm a 'competent person' when it comes to this 'lectric stuff)

 

[ebee]

I once, as a young un, got a belt of the unsleeved pins on a plug, never got a shock again, it taught me a great lesson.

(Omitting deliberate acts of "Catch This Capacitor" the well tried games we used toplay on each other!)

 

[AdrianUK]

I once, as a young un, got a belt of the unsleeved pins on a plug, never got a shock again, it taught me a great lesson.

(Omitting deliberate acts of "Catch This Capacitor" the well tried games we used toplay on each other!)

Didn't try 'Catch the Cap' but we did discover 'capacitor spot welding' in Electronics at college - the edge of the bench had a nice, convenient, aluminium strip ......

We also proved, in Chemistry, that mains water pressure is higher than gas pressure..... connect the water tap to the gas tap..... and watch all the Bunsen burners turn into little fountains .....

 

[plugwash]

I've seen some moulded cables by volex that appear to have unusually small 13A plugs (and also have unusually small connectors on the other end).

https://uk.farnell.com/c/cable-wire-cable-assemblies/cable-assemblies/power-cords-electrical-power-cables?brand=volex&product-range=152610-series

https://cpc.farnell.com/c/electrical-lighting/mains-power-leads?brand=volex&product-range=152610-series

Note, the volex who sell cables are not the same company who until recently sold electrical accessories for the UK market. It looks like the electrical accessories part of the buisiness was sold off in 1992.

 

[SUNRAY]

I had no idea they were that old? I remember them in the 80's. Must be the later version

In hindsight I think my timing may be out, I always associated the price hike with the introduction of sleeved pins and somehow associated that with decimisation, however I also remember using these plugs in my first house (purchased March 1983) some 12 years after decimalisation but don't recall ever purchasing any with sleeved pins.
A quick google for introduction of pin sleeving seems to have varying dates from mid 1970's to mid 80's. I/we certainly purchased a number of dozens of them mid to late 70's I believe including from Norman Rose when they were in Grays Inn Rd in London.