In article ,
Derek * writes:

On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 20:19:20 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Jim Hatfield wrote:
I have an American "domestic electrical diy handbook" and it's
fascinating. I'd never seen a wirenut before I read that.

They were fairly common in the UK many years ago. I found some in my house
used with lead cable. So I'd guess pre WW2.


I used them when I spent a couple of weeks working for an
electrician when I was in the 6th form, that would place it in
1963.

They were called "Scruits" (TM)

Yes, that's a tradename. "Dogs ********" was a nickname, which
came about due to the way a pair of them would dangle below a
cable knot.

I have a number of old books on wiring (stangely, I find the
history of it interesting). The most recent one with any reference
to this type of connector is about 1935, and that's only in a
picture -- I suspect thet were probably rather obsolete even by
then. Ceramic chocolate block connectors were well established
by then, together with a one terminal single ended chocolate
block connector which looks like a screwit but cylindrical
rather than tapered. Oh, and today's circular junction boxes
with the slotted terminals just start appearing (with screwed
lids at that time).

I'm fairly sure I've recently seen them inside multiple ceiling
light fittings (3-lights etc) and ceiling fans.

Those are single-ended insulated crimps, which look similar but
are _far_ more reliable...

--
Andrew Gabriel