I'm crap with a micrometer - can anyone with one available (or detailed
specs) tell me what the blade width should be of the earth pin of a
standard 13A plug please ?

This has come about because of a cheap AC charger with a plastic earth
pin which I suspect is out of spec - its a bloody tight fit in two
different manufacturers' sockets...

A normal brass pin (if i'm not mistaken) is about 4.1mm wide, but this
seems to be 4.3-4.4mm wide

TIA :-}

"Colin Wilson" wrote in message
t...
I'm crap with a micrometer - can anyone with one available (or detailed
specs) tell me what the blade width should be of the earth pin of a
standard 13A plug please ?

This has come about because of a cheap AC charger with a plastic earth
pin which I suspect is out of spec - its a bloody tight fit in two
different manufacturers' sockets...

A normal brass pin (if i'm not mistaken) is about 4.1mm wide, but this
seems to be 4.3-4.4mm wide

TIA :-}

Look for "Type G" about 60% down this page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesti...gs_and_sockets

David

Colin Wilson wrote:
I'm crap with a micrometer - can anyone with one available (or detailed
specs) tell me what the blade width should be of the earth pin of a
standard 13A plug please ?

This has come about because of a cheap AC charger with a plastic earth
pin which I suspect is out of spec - its a bloody tight fit in two
different manufacturers' sockets...

A normal brass pin (if i'm not mistaken) is about 4.1mm wide, but this
seems to be 4.3-4.4mm wide

TIA :-}

Just measured the MK plug on my reading lamp. 4.0 x 8.0mm

Colin Wilson writes:

This has come about because of a cheap AC charger with a plastic earth
pin which I suspect is out of spec - its a bloody tight fit in two
different manufacturers' sockets...

I think you should make a fuss assuming this is imported rubbish but
still marked BS/CE.

Jon

In article ,
Colin Wilson wrote:
A normal brass pin (if i'm not mistaken) is about 4.1mm wide, but this
seems to be 4.3-4.4mm wide

IIRC, 5/16" x 5/32"

--
*If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

I think you should make a fuss assuming this is imported rubbish but
still marked BS/CE.

You know what, that's something I hadn't actually checked, but it is
from a reputable UK vendor...

IIRC, 5/16" x 5/32"

touche :-}

"Colin Wilson" wrote in message
t...
I'm crap with a micrometer - can anyone with one available (or detailed
specs) tell me what the blade width should be of the earth pin of a
standard 13A plug please ?

This has come about because of a cheap AC charger with a plastic earth
pin which I suspect is out of spec - its a bloody tight fit in two
different manufacturers' sockets...

A normal brass pin (if i'm not mistaken) is about 4.1mm wide, but this
seems to be 4.3-4.4mm wide


Thanks for giving me the chance to use my recently bought half-price
Woolworths electronic calipers (they look alright to me).

Plastic pin: 0.165 inch. 4.30 mm. Correct fitting.

Metal pin: 0.155 inch. 4.00 mm. Correct fitting.

Sylvain.

TIA :-}

A quote from a recent post in the RNIB talking book list:
I have come across 2 power adapters for Victor players with oversized
earth pins which, as a result do not fit sockets correctly.
The most recent adapter pin measured 4.33 by 8.20 mm at the tip and 4.90
by 8.40 mm at the root.
The spec in BS 1363-3:1989 gives the dimensions for the earth pins as
3.90 min to 4.05 max by 7.80 min to 8.05 max, so this adapter is way out
of tolerance.
The oversize adaptors are being taken out of service for H&S reasons.

Thanks for that - I hadn't been able to find any "official" specs or
tolerances for some reason !