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Caper:
Just hazarding a guess here...probably far off.
I remember working with a kind of insulating tape years ago when making splices(may still be available, for all I know) which came in two parts. The first part was a kind of rubber material which had some type of peel-off backing, for wrapping directly around the spliced conductors. The second part was a fabric-like material impregnated with something that would allow it to stick to itself, which was wrapped over the rubber layer.

O.K., remember we're ladies and gentlemen here...

Mike (mamills)

OK, I give up... What is it???
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Old push-button switch in the house that my partner, Joe, just bought.

Looks like a receptacle to take non-grounding versions of what would now be 120 and 240V plugs (NEMA 1-15 and 2-15 ?)

Absolute guesswork here (gotta remember that liability issue!), but maybe they were used interchangeably at one time?

Mike,

Yeah, you are right. Years ago when they use to install knob and tube (K&T)wiring, the contractor would solder all of his splices. Then they would wrap it with rubber tape, then finish it off with the olf cloth "friction" tape. I wish I had a picture off the "splice box" I seen years ago. With K&T wiring, there was no splice boxes. Well one homeowner took a tuna can and used it to install a splice inside of it. You have to give him credit for thinking! (LOL)

Caper

'66wv— On your photos…the "4-pin" receptacle must have been that experimental NEMA 1½-15 type.

Here's a bit of a view of wooden surface raceway with a pendant adapter. I took this out of a basement of an 1890's duplex about seven years ago.

ElectricAL,

I have seen those old "running boards" for electrical wiring here in NJ. They are usually attached to Knob and Tube (K&T) wiring. The boards would help keep wiring safe when running on the surface where it could be damaged.

Joe,

Here in NJ for a period of several years ( Around the 60's I think) where the electrical contractor would attach his ground wires (Even though they were only 16 ga. copper ) to a screw and nut on the outside of the box. It makes for a very difficult time, if you wanted to get to the ground wire in a finished room. The ground wire you are looking for is attached either in the back or top of the box. Was this a common installation?

Caper

Caper:

That practice was not unusual. I have seen electrical contractors from the East to the West coasts, did do it the way you describe.

It was not covered, until Andy Cartel sent in a proposal for the 87? NEC to make sure the rule required the EGC's to be inside the box.

Here's the current rule in the 2002 NEC:

250.148 Continuity and Attachment of Equipment Grounding Conductors to Boxes.

Where circuit conductors are spliced within a box, or terminated on equipment within or supported by a box, any separate equipment grounding conductors associated with those circuit conductors shall be spliced or joined within the box or to the box with devices suitable for the use.

This was typical as well, and was called the "Boston Back Wrap", or in any city the _________ backwrap!

Joe,

I have seen the "back wrap" method of grounding. I have seen the farmers, 3-way switch, the ground wires bolted on the outside of the box, the Knob and tube (K&T) wiring, and the running boards, etc. However, ( And I wish I had a picture of it.) I did see a tuna fish can used as a splice box for K&T wiring. The homeowner thought that after lunch, ( a tuna sandwich, I guess) he cleaned out the tuna can and cut notches in it, then installed it around an open "T" splice in his attic around the K&T splice. I also saw an engineer argue with me that his job was OK. He ran a 14-2 RX wire from one switch to another to create a new three way switch. However he ran a yellow #14 THHN wire along side the RX. That made up his third wire. It just makes you shake your head and laugh.

Caper