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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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26th Apr 2020, 7:36 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,177
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Loblite adaptor.
Hi,
Despite living in France, I still use UK plugs & sockets for my 'workshop'. I use 13 amp and 5 amp types for soldering irons, Variacs, PSUs, etc. I also have lots of 2 amp plugs & sockets, but I keep those just for connecting PA loudspeakers. Last week I unearthed one of a pair of 'Loblite' 13 amp to 5 amp adaptors that were lurking in my 'Plug Box'. Oddly, as well as accomodating a 5 amp and a 13 amp plug, there was another version that had the option of being wired onto a cable and used as a plug in its own right. There is the facility for adding terminals, and a cord grip and a knock out hole to exit the cable. I wonder if there are hard wired ones out there? PS, The soldered bits seen in the third photo were added by me to bypass intermittent brass rivets on the 13 amp socket. Cheers, Pete.
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26th Apr 2020, 8:00 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saltburn-East, Cleveland, UK.
Posts: 1,784
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Hi, I have one of these in my collection and also a version with two 13 amp sockets (I think, I'll have to take a look it definitely has a different socket combination to the 13/5 amp version though)
I had noticed that there seemed to be an option to fit a corded appliance, although not in either of the ones I own. The only other adapters I have seen that have the option to connect a corded appliance are Wylex and Dorman and Smith ones. Andrew |
26th Apr 2020, 11:21 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,675
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Just the thing to plug your 3kW electric fire into
Can it get any worse? Well yes it can. https://www.flameport.com/electric_m...a_5a_white.cs4 I presume Loblite and Grelco were connected (unlike their products)
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27th Apr 2020, 12:57 am | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,316
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
We used to have one like that, but with a 15A plug for its 2 x13A sockets and 1x 5A socket. Can't remember the fusing arrangements. Redundant after my parents moved into a new flat with all 13A sockets in 1967.
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27th Apr 2020, 8:08 am | #5 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Would any appliance that was hard-wired into that adapter only be able to have a maximum rating of 5 amps?
Or would someone wiring in a higher rated appliance simply replace that internal fuse with a 13 amp version? Thereby enabling the whole thing to be seriously overloaded. I wouldn't like to trust that flimsy printed circuitry in a situation like I've described.
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Best Regards, Peter. |
27th Apr 2020, 8:09 am | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
Posts: 9,145
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Grelco were [Are they still around] produced high quality adaptors. They were a bit reluctant to produce WHITE Bakelite versions and it took them a while to catch up. There was a huge demand for these when the millions of houses built between the wars were being rewired in the 1960's. They were safe enough and I can't remember any incidents with them.
I encountered really dangerous and nasty wiring/connections/fuse boxes/leads/taped joints/incorrectly employed adaptors, I could go on but cannot recall any that caused fires or shocks. Bedsit land in South West London. You would not believe it! Amazing. John. |
27th Apr 2020, 8:21 am | #7 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Quote:
Unfortunately, a more likely substitution would be a solid slug of metal, bypassing any internal protection whatsoever.
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27th Apr 2020, 8:34 am | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 729
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Yes, Dave, you are quite right. I hadn't noticed it was a smaller physical size.
Further research found this (see pic)
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Best Regards, Peter. |
27th Apr 2020, 10:35 am | #9 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Weymouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 422
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
I've got one of those with a flexible flex from it to another 5 amp socket it's used in my workshop seems safe enough to me. Mine has the fuse soldered in not by me I hasten to add it came like that I just know it's going to be a right pain to change when the time comes
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27th Apr 2020, 12:11 pm | #10 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,637
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
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27th Apr 2020, 7:39 pm | #11 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,457
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Are you sure that's the spare? It looks like it's attached to the 13A side.
Either way, a PCB will not last long in this place, not with 2KW attached! Edit: just zoomed in on it, it's defo attached to mains.
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27th Apr 2020, 10:18 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,177
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
Hi,
Yes, the fuse in the third pic is in circuit and would protect the wired in flex (if fitted) as well as the 5 amp socket, The spare is indeed missing and would normally be kept in the hole in the bottom left corner of the base. There is an arrow etched onto the PCB pointing to it with the words 'spare fuse'. Cheers, Pete.
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"Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..." |
28th Apr 2020, 9:14 am | #13 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,111
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Re: Loblite adaptor.
The first adaptor (13 amp + 5amp) was supplied to my school physics labs., when bench 13 amp (flat pin) power supplies were added.
They enabled 5 amp-fitted portable equipment such as oscilloscopes to be used from the new sockets. The rest of the school remained on BS 546 5 and 15 amp radial circuits. (Loblite was a Gateshead company, and so was a local (Co. Durham) product). |