Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Another cleaning edge.
A dirt storage area.
Hang on a hook.


Greg

wrote in message
...
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

From Yahoo

If you were to take apart an electrical socket and look at the contact
wipers that the prongs slide into, you would find that in some cases they
have bumps on them. These bumps fit into the holes so that the outlet can
grip the plug's prongs more firmly. This prevents the plug from slipping out
of the socket due to the weight of the plug and cord. It also improves the
contact between the plug and the outlet.

On Thu, 9 Aug 2012 17:53:55 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

They are there for our safety. When you unplug an electrical device
there is still electricity trapped in the device and the power cord.
Those holes allow the electricity slowly dissipate harmlessly. Without
those holes life, as we know it, would cease to exist.

On Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:15:37 +0000 (UTC), gregz wrote:

wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Another cleaning edge.
A dirt storage area.
Hang on a hook.
Make Google Gropies ask stupid questions.

In article ,
wrote:

Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US plug)
usually have holes cut on its tips?

let the water out more easily

On Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:40:48 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Thu, 9 Aug 2012 17:53:55 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

They are there for our safety. When you unplug an electrical device
there is still electricity trapped in the device and the power cord.
Those holes allow the electricity slowly dissipate harmlessly. Without
those holes life, as we know it, would cease to exist.

Geezzzz, and all this time I thought they were for single horny guys
with real tiny dicks, who wanted a little spark and sizzle added to
their life.......

On 8/9/2012 10:07 PM, zzzzzzzzzz pulled his typing finger
out of his nose and wrote:

Make Google Gropies ask stupid questions.


"groupies" dumb****

On Fri, 10 Aug 2012 05:27:39 -0400, Domicile Dude
wrote:

On 8/9/2012 10:07 PM, zzzzzzzzzz pulled his typing finger
out of his nose and wrote:

Make Google Gropies ask stupid questions.


"groupies" dumb****

Wrong, HomoGay. I meant what I wrote.

On Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:18:50 -0700, "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds"
wrote:

In article ,
wrote:

Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US plug)
usually have holes cut on its tips?

let the water out more easily


They are there to dissipate static electricity.

On 8/9/2012 8:53 PM, wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Actually, there are some tiny padlocks with a very thin shackle that
would easily fit into one or both of the holes to prevent someone from
plugging it into power.

Art Todesco wrote:
On 8/9/2012 8:53 PM, wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Actually, there are some tiny padlocks with a very thin shackle that
would easily fit into one or both of the holes to prevent someone from
plugging it into power.

Any padlock that small wouldn't prevent someone from plugging it in, it
would merely slow them down.

wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

This site offers 3 possible reasons:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...ectrical-plugs

I've also read that they are used by manufacturers to "lock out" the plug
prior to its initial use so that they can attach a note to say something
like "Make sure you do (insert task here) before plugging in this device."
However, I think that that's a use of them, not a reason for them.

Art Todesco wrote:
On 8/9/2012 8:53 PM, wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Actually, there are some tiny padlocks with a very thin shackle that
would easily fit into one or both of the holes to prevent someone from
plugging it into power.

I used to work with ones that had a wire wrapped through the holes. Copper
I think. The other end of the wire went into a jato bottle with 1500 lbs of
thrust. This was for a RCAT launching rail. You removed the wire before
plugging it into some launch trigger voltage. Oh the army days....

http://zekfrivolous.com/rcat/r-cat-jato-launch.jpg

Greg

gregz wrote:
Art Todesco wrote:
On 8/9/2012 8:53 PM, wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Actually, there are some tiny padlocks with a very thin shackle that
would easily fit into one or both of the holes to prevent someone from
plugging it into power.

I used to work with ones that had a wire wrapped through the holes. Copper
I think. The other end of the wire went into a jato bottle with 1500 lbs of
thrust. This was for a RCAT launching rail. You removed the wire before
plugging it into some launch trigger voltage. Oh the army days....

http://zekfrivolous.com/rcat/r-cat-jato-launch.jpg

Greg

Which came first, the chicken or the holes?

In other words, were the holes put there so that the copper wire could be
threaded through or was the copper wire threaded through based on the
convenience of the holes being present?

Remember that the original was "why we're the holes put there" not "what
are the uses of the holes".

On 8/12/2012 2:45 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Art Todesco wrote:
On 8/9/2012 8:53 PM, wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Actually, there are some tiny padlocks with a very thin shackle that
would easily fit into one or both of the holes to prevent someone from
plugging it into power.

Any padlock that small wouldn't prevent someone from plugging it in, it
would merely slow them down.

Yup, locks are only made "to prevent drunks and kids" from getting in.
I might also add, honest people.

wrote in message
...
This is to alert you that you are not supposed to plug it in, not
prevent the dumbest person on the planet from doing it.
In an industrial setting there is legal recourse against someone who
defeats LOTO and injures someone. It is usually only money but it is a
****load of money.

I have spent the last 20 or more years at a place and we go over LOTO many
times during the year. The lock is not that important. It is the TAG. The
tag is to aleart others that some work is going on and it is against the
rules to defeat the tag. Just as we have some red barrier tape to be put up
around some work areas. A tag must be used to aleart people who to see if
you need to get in the tapped off area. Anyone can duck under the tape, but
if caught without your name on the tag, you can be fired.

For plugs, another way to make them safe is a plastic clam shell type of
box that goes around the plug and is then locked and tagged.


A simple plastic ty-wrap holding the tag on is just as good as the largest
lock made as far as the rules go. Everyone that goes in the plant that may
do some work goes through a safety course that lasts an hour or so. We have
several plants that are very similar in about a 100 mile area. When someone
goes from one plant to another , they go through a safety course at that
plant and get a card for that plant that is only good for a year.

We are getting away from the origional question. The holes were put in the
plugs because of the way the very old sockets were made and that hepled to
keep the plugs in the socket and make contact. They are no longer needed,
but seem to be hanging on because they were always there.

On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 08:30:26 -0400, Art Todesco wrote:

On 8/12/2012 2:45 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Art Todesco wrote:
On 8/9/2012 8:53 PM, wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

Actually, there are some tiny padlocks with a very thin shackle that
would easily fit into one or both of the holes to prevent someone from
plugging it into power.

Any padlock that small wouldn't prevent someone from plugging it in, it
would merely slow them down.

Yup, locks are only made "to prevent drunks and kids" from getting in.
I might also add, honest people.

Good locks also get people to try next door, first.

On 08/12/2012 01:54 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
wrote:
Anybody have any ideas as to why the prongs of an electrical plug (US
plug) usually have holes cut on its tips?

This site offers 3 possible reasons:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...ectrical-plugs

I've also read that they are used by manufacturers to "lock out" the plug
prior to its initial use so that they can attach a note to say something
like "Make sure you do (insert task here) before plugging in this device."
However, I think that that's a use of them, not a reason for them.

I thought they were there to make it less likely for the plug to weld to
the socket -- sort of a "don't make the full connection all at once" thing.