"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
Hi,

started cleaning up some old brass switch and receptacle plates today in
preparation for rewiring one of the bedrooms. These are the old .040"
thick solid brass plates, not new hardware store ones. Anyway I test fit
them on some devices and it appears that they may be resting on the
mounting screws for the devices. The new receps and switches come with
pan/combo head screws, I'm wondering if the old devices used in the 40's
had flat head screws for mounting the devices to the box? it certainly
looks like it might be advisable with these plates; at least one switch
plate shows evidence of being slightly deformed by device screws in the
past.


I don't recall when the change took place. The old slotted head screws had
a much flatter head.

I think they were bugle (oval ) shaped. They did in fact sit much flatter
into the device ears.