In the early days of electricity, they didn't have wall plugs

[DDTJRAC]

Hello scientists, engineers, etc. I have not had any questions for you recently, so have not participated here. I was scanning some material and ran across these 2 ads. I had posted them at another forum, and I thought you may be interested in them as well. History is fascinating stuff!

Some houses may have had plugs, but many homes just screwed the appliance into the light socket overhead. Does anyone know when electric wall plugs were in widespread use?

1906 ad DDTJRAC

Even big washing machines were screwed into the socket.

1909 ad DDTJRAC

This machine was also water powered. Don't know how well that worked. Wow, all the wasted water!




Edited just now by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

 

[Baluncore]

I expect the use of Edison screw, ES, or E27 light fittings would twist and damage the power cord. Maybe bayonet cap lamps, BC, or B22, did less damage to the cords, and so extended the time before general purpose outlets became available.

 

[DaveE]

google, dude.
My first search result...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_AC_power_plugs_and_sockets

 

[Rive]

This machine was also water powered.

Also, there were some with a gasoline engine...

 

[collinsmark]

Here's a video some here might find interesting. It's an hour long, but it's fun I guess.

If you want to skip to the part about people just screwing all their appliances into the overhead socket, skip to 11:00 timestamp (right after the electric tablecloth section).

They start talking about very early sockets at around the 18:00 timestamp.

 

[tech99]

I remember that in the 1940s in the UK, we had power points, but very few. The bayonet light fitting was often used for electric irons. After WW2 the electrical systems were modernised with the introduction of ring circuits and the special safety plug we still have today.

 

[tech99]

I also remember and using 2-way adapters for bayonet fittings, so you could have a light bulb and a power take off. No earth pin of course.

 

[Baluncore]

Power points were not initially standardised or widespread. As light globes became a commodity, a national lamp globe standard emerged, Edison Screw with coaxial terminals in the USA, bayonet, with two contacts in the UK. When travelling nationally, the lamp fitting became the more reliable de facto standard.

 

[phinds]

In the early days of electricity, they didn't have wall plugs​

For some reason, this reminds me: Before the crowbar was invented, crows had to drink at home.

 

[OmCheeto]

Wow, all the wasted water!

Ha! That would be a fun thread.
I live in Oregon, where we get 34% of our electric needs from hydroelectric plants.
I signed up for 100% renewable several years ago, so I think my 'wasted water' is around 70%.

Anyone know how to use these new AI thingys to display a waterfall powered generator in my laundry room to machine wash and dry just one load?

---
as always, ok to delete, infract and ban

 

[phinds]

Anyone know how to use these new AI thingys to display a waterfall powered generator in my laundry room to machine wash and dry just one load?

You have a waterfall in your laundry room ?

 

[OmCheeto]

You have a waterfall in your laundry room ?

No, I have a virtual waterfall in my laundry room.

 

[phinds]

No, I have a virtual waterfall in my laundry room.

So, you're going to get virtual electricity to power your washer dryer? This all sounds very suspicious

 

[dwarde]

Growing up in an older house in the 1940's and 50's we used screw in adapters. Not what the OP had in mind but they were widely used. They are still available. They didn't have a third ground wire way back then.

 

[renormalize]

They didn't have a third ground wire way back then.

I don't think those modern adapters have a ground wire either. I've never seen a light socket that could accommodate any additional wire connections beyond hot and neutral. After all, light sockets are intended for standard E26 light bulbs, none of which have a ground connection.

 

[BillTre]

I don't think those modern adapters have a ground wire either. I've never seen a light socket that could accommodate any additional wire connections beyond hot and neutral. After all, light sockets are intended for standard E26 light bulbs, none of which have a ground connection.

Sockets for three way lights can:

 

[renormalize]

Sockets for three way lights can:

OK, that's a fair observation. But for those sockets, to which terminal would it be proper to connect a green (in the US) ground wire? And since the adapters shown in post #14 only appear to have two contacts (an outer threaded one and a centered smooth one) how can that ground be passed through to the plugged-in device?

 

[BillTre]

There are one neutral and two hot contacts. This gives you the threeway-ness:

1. Neutral vs. hot 1
2. Neutral vs. hot 2
3. Neutral vs. hot 1 and hot 2

One of the hots could be wired as a ground instead of another hot.

You would also need a screw in to normal three prong socket adapter (there's probably a name for that) to use the whole set-up as something to plug into.
How the screw-in socket would be wired (by you) would be determined by the purchased product you plan on using with it.
Or you could make your own adapter.

You could check items out at on-line electronics suppliers or local electrical supply stores (they have guys in there to talk to).

 

[renormalize]

Or you could make your own adapter.

Agreed, one could modify a standard two-terminal light socket to accommodate a ground terminal and make an adapter that would then provide a ground to a 3-prong/polarized outlet.
But the intent of my post #15 was simply to point out that it's quite unlikely that the commercial adapters shown in post #14 are actually grounded. Instead, the outlets shown are likely designed merely to accept the prongs of a standard plug mechanically without providing any electrical grounding.

 

[BillTre]

Agreed, one could modify a standard two-terminal light socket to accommodate a ground terminal and make an adapter that would then provide a ground to a 3-prong/polarized outlet.
But the intent of my post #15 was simply to point out that it's quite unlikely that the commercial adapters shown in post #14 are actually grounded. Instead, the outlets shown are likely designed merely to accept the prongs of a standard plug mechanically without providing any electrical grounding.

Do a search.. You may find something.