Plug tops / Plug caps?

[RandomGrinch]

After some 'interesting' discussions on here (involving a certain party who will remain nameless!), about the usage of the words 'Plug Top' to describe a 13A plug; I decided to look into its origins (...and please forgive me if you have seen any of this before!).

The only information I have found, has come from the US and involves the manufacturer, Hubbell (Still in business!).

I have previously posted some of what I found here:

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/yet-more-censorship.580330/page-6#post-5084011

After just having another deep dive into the internet, I found this intriguing scan of a 1906 Hubbell catalogue (Beware - 100+MB download!)

https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Hubbell-Western-Elec-Catalog-1906.pdf

It clarified to me the issues they faced in 1906. Most electrical outlets were ceiling mounted Edison Screw fittings for lighting. Hubbell's breakthrough was to create a separable 'attachment plug' - the plug as it were, was what fitted into the Edison screw fitting, and the separable attachment was called the 'cap'.

When wall outlets were being developed by Hubbell, it made sense to continue to call the wall receptacles 'Plugs' and the manufacturers standard 'Caps' were what was plugged into them.

Whether the US 'Plug cap' was the origin for our UK term 'Plug top', is still up for debate.
But it doesn't seem an unreasonable leap of the imagination!

It is easy to forget the problems that the pioneers in this field faced, when inventing the standards that we take for granted today. What might seem completely illogical to us - having plug 'Caps' that plugged into 'Flush attachment plugs' - made complete sense at the time!

I hope someone finds this interesting!

Source:
https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_Outlet_Types.php

 

[JohnW2]

After some 'interesting' discussions on here (involving a certain party who will remain nameless!), about the usage of the words 'Plug Top' to describe a 13A plug; I decided to look into its origins (...and please forgive me if you have seen any of this before!)..... I found this intriguing scan of a 1906 Hubbell catalogue .... Whether the US 'Plug cap' was the origin for our UK term 'Plug top', is still up for debate. .... But it doesn't seem an unreasonable leap of the imagination!

Interesting. You seem to imply that it's all 'historical' and that, at least in the US, "plug top" was once (at least 100+ years ago) the correct/recognised/standard term.

However, that doesn't really correspond with my personal experiences in the UK. I don't think I'd heard of the term until perhaps 2-3 decades ago, and I have certainly only very rarely heard members of the general public using the term - the impression I've had was that it was the invention of 'the industry' at some point in time (and not 'very many decades ago'). I certainly don't remember any of my grandparents use the term, even though they had been around since before electricity was commonplace in many/most UK homes (including theirs).

"Plug Socket" also gets a lot of flak. Although I don't use the term myself (since meaning is nearly always obvious from context), but I have far less of s problem with that. Without context, "socket" is certainly very ambiguous. In addition to the things into which one inserts 'electrical plugs' (or .... ), possibilities include such things as hex/torx/whatever sockets, prosthetic limb sockets, soil/waste pipe sockets etc. etc. - so, if one wants to be totally explicit, then 'plug socket' (or, even more explicit, 'electrical plug socket') would seem perfectly reasonable!

Kind Regards, John

 

[RandomGrinch]

I don't think I'd heard of the term until perhaps 2-3 decades ago, and I have certainly only very rarely heard members of the general public using the term -

Yes, I may be completely wrong!

Although, I found it interesting that there was logical, historical context, for the use of 'Cap' for a plug and 'Plug' for in effect a socket!
...and from (it could be argued) the inventor of the wall socket.

Could there have been a re-remembering of the old term in the UK? Or is it derived from something more prosaic? I don't know, and am willing to hear other explanations

My point, I think, is that without knowing the context of the term (and with the term in such common use), it seems churlish that posters on here may be derided for calling a plug, a 'Plug Top'!

 

[securespark]

Seem to remember that someone on here said that back in the day, sockets were called plugs and the bit that attached to them were called plugtops.

That would explain the huge number of elderly fuseboxes with fuses labelled "PLUGS".

I also have textbooks written by well qualified and well respected people that talk of plugtops.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Seem to remember that someone on here said that back in the day, sockets were called plugs and the bit that attached to them were called plugtops.

I was just typing similar.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Of course, in English where the adjective is placed before the noun abbreviations often become just the adjective (just been watching a video where an 'impact drill' is being referred to as just 'my impact') - so perhaps the reason for a 'socket' being called a 'plug' is because it was originally short for 'plug socket' and something was needed to distinguish the actual 'plug'.

That has made me think - is the same true for 'drill' and 'drill bit'? They are both called 'drills'.

 

[securespark]

Looking in my books at the moment.

Wherever "plugtop" has originated, it does not seem to be from the regulations.

Having said that, I can only go as far back as 1955. But the regulations from then and forward only make reference to "plug" and "socket" or "socket outlet".

I would like to get hold of older copies of the regs. Currently searching for the 10th-12th Editions online. Not easy to locate!

 

[crystal ball]

One of my regulars often calls me to say they need a new plug in a certain office, that can mean anything from a network point to a cooker switch