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plugs and sockets |
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Type C main page |
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plugs and sockets |
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Type C main page |
| Although Schuko plugs and sockets originate from the mid 1920s, earthed outlets in houses remained rather uncommon until the 1950s. With respect to continental Europe, the first half of the 20st century can be regarded as the pre-Schuko era. The variety of 2-pin plugs is huge. They had in common that the distance between pins was 19 mm and pin diameter was approximately 4 mm. Their safety level was variable. Standardization and strict safety regulations have become an issue in Europe since the 1960s. The images below show some obsolete 'pre-Euro plugs' and 2-pole outlets; most of them are German made. |
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| 1 | Three examples of German plugs made in the 1930s and 1940s. For connecting wires to the plug at left, the round base plate has to be removed (see detailed images). This method to secure wires is - rightly - no longer regarded as safe. This late 1930s DRGM type 250V, 6A plug was certified by VDE (Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker). D.R.G.M. means Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster (= German Reich Registered Design), an acronym that can be found on many German pre-world war II devices. |
| 2 | Three examples of
flat
male and female plugs that were commonly used in the 1940s to 1960s. The brown pair at left shows an inconsistency with respect to its rating: the male plug is rated 10A versus 15A for the female plug. To nowadays standards both ratings are rather optimistic. The modern equivalent, the Europlug, is rated up to 2.5A ! The black pair shown in the middle was produced shortly after world war II. Due to a shortage of materials the pins were made of folded metal sheets rather than massive pins. The white pair at right is an example of the last class of pre-Europlugs used in the Netherlands. Their safety standard was limited because the plastic housing was quite breakable. |
| 3 | Power strip that can accommodate five non-earthed plugs. This robust Bakelite outlet, which was fixed on a wooden base, probably dates back to the 1930s. None of the outlets shown here could be used for Schuko plugs since their 4.8 mm diameter pins does not fit in the old devices. |
| 4 | Porcelain multi-plug. |
| 5 | Four-way (2x2) multi-plug for non-earthed plugs with 4 mm pins. Multi-plugs nos. 5 and 6 are made of a Bakelite type resin. |
| 6 | Two-way for non-earthed plugs. Nos. 5 and 6 do not have any indication about rating or origin. They are probably pre-1940. |
| 7 | Two examples of obsolete non-earthed multi-plugs (1950-80s). Such multi-plugs are replaced decades ago by Euro- or Schuko type plugs, but some of them are still in use. |
| 8 | Porcelain lamp
holder
(27 mm Edison screw base) with two non-earthed outlets. A comparable lamp holder with outlets is shown in the section devoted to type A/B plugs and sockets. Read the historical note given there. |
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| 9 | Bakelite 10A, 250V two pole socket with child-safe locking mechanism. The lock that has to be rotated to insert a plug (see nos. 13 and 14), is an integral part of the socket construction, rather than an add-on type of shutter. This 1950s NIKO socket was a significant safety improvement. |
| 10, 11 | The default position of
the top, circular plate covers the two slots (see no. 12). In this
position a plug can only be inserted for 5 mm (shown at no. 13), which provides sufficient grip to rotate the circular plate 90 degrees clockwise. Only then the plug can be fully pressed down and the pins will make contact with the poles (see no. 14). A spring ensures that the plate automatically rotates back to its safe position when the plug is retracted. |
| 12, 13 | Combined Bakelite light switch and a single, non-earthed socket, rated to 6A, 250V. The device probably dates back to the 1920s. At that time rooms often had a single light source and no more than one socket. It was efficient to combine socket and light switch. |
| 14 | Device no. 9/10 was probably German made. Instead of a brand name it shows a remarkable logo with three birds (parrots?). Their beaks point to the top of a triangle. The name of the company that used this mark is unknown to me. Please let me know if anybody recognizes this mark. See about the collection for the address to contact me. |
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| 15 - 17 | Porcelain 2-pin 6A, 250V plug connected to the cord of a 1920s fan made by Siemens-Schuckert Werke.The copper nuts (green arrows in image no. 16) make direct contact with the pins (see image no. 17), which means that one of both is under tension when the fan is connected to the mains. The plug has a vaguely visible mark. Image no. 15 shows a reconstruction in grey. It is most likely that it has to be the official logo of the Siemens-Schuckert Werke, as depicted top left in black. |
| 18 - 20 | Copper / wooden plug-in device with porcelain socket,
found at the attic of a 100+ years old stately home in Rotterdam, NL. It seems likely that the outlet for the plug-in contacts was incorporated in a - no longer existing - desk or cabinet. The two slots of the porcelain socket , see image no. 19, have diameters of respectively 5.0 mm (left) and 3.9 mm (right). It is unknown whether they were meant for special plugs with pins of different thickness. Any statement about a suchlike polarized plugs have not been found. The engraving on the copper locking collar indicates a rating of 4Amp. 250Volt (see image no. 20). |
| 21 | Besides the plug-in socket (see no. 19) also a comparable plug-in device with push button was found. It has the same 4Amp. 250Volt engraving. However, using the device with the same outlet that is required for socket no.19 would immediately result in a shortcut and blown fuse when pushing the button ! The fact that two identical devices could be used for fully incompatible purposes is remarkable, and may indicate that they are exclusively designed for specific types of desks or cabinets. |
| Item nos. 12 to 21 are donated to the Museum, see Acknowledgments. |
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