Hi,

I have some older 3P+N+E sockets for which I need to find matching plugs. I've talked to several good suppliers but can't find any. Many people will no doubt suggest that I should replace the sockets with modern ones, but in this case I can't. They belong to vintage equipment and it's important to use metal-bodied sockets to preserve the appearance of the machine.

To allay any safety concerns people may have, the sockets will be dismantled, inspected, cleaned and repainted before use. They are also safer than most old socket designs as the plug must be rotated to switch on the power.

The socket uses four pins in a square with the earth in the centre. It is of a pin-and-sleeve design. There is no manufacturer's name apart from a logo comprising an interleaved "M" and "L" on the cover, and some very faint printing on the reverse which might say "NECTRE", but I'm not sure. Here's a picture of the socket:
http://www.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt22/socket.jpg

Does anyone know what these are called? If anyone knows where I can obtain suitable plugs I'd be grateful to know. Also, if any contractors here remove this kind of plug and socket when they upgrade installations, please let me know. I'd be interested in buying any plugs or sockets in serviceable condition.

By the way, I'm in the UK.

Many thanks,

Chris Tidy

Could that be a stylised eagle symbol i.e. one of the old german standard marks ?


Some of the old metal body plugs were LEATHAL due to odd design glitches.


[This message has been edited by djk (edited 10-22-2005).]

The outer part of that assembly, and especially the "turn to switch on" principle, and corresponding release button, look very much like the outlets on many Caravan Club sites, which of course have BS4343 configuration.
I've no idea who supplies these, but that just may be a clue to someone! I've not noticed those features elsewhere.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've just had a stroke of luck talking to someone who works in the theatre/concert lighting industry. He says "ML" stands for "Martin Lunel", and I can now track down pictures of similar sockets doing a Google search. It appears it isn't a German eagle symbol, although I had wondered that myself. Apparently they were still available 10 years ago (when he last bought one). DJK, can you remember which metal-bodied sockets were unsafe? Naturally I must use a design which is safe. I've disassembled a socket and can't see anything which could cause the body to become live. It looks pretty safe to me.

Thanks for the help.

Chris

Could you reload just the orange plastic cover in a higher resolution?

Here's the cover in higher resolution:
http://www.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt22/ml_socket_cover.jpg

The cover is die cast aluminium, not plastic.

Chris

Martin Lunel obviously has become a part of French Legrand. But I fear those guys will not be able to offer you any stuff that has been sold more than ten years ago.

So it might be necessary to concentrate on the flea market and antiquity scene?

That pic reminds me of the old Reyrolle 3-phase connector we had here, before they were banned in 2000.
As djk mentioned, the metal outer on the plugs here used a scraping Earth contact, if you were lucky puuling the plug out you would get a tingle in your hand.
If your hand happened to be damp, look out!.
These connectors were used for welders and Portable Refrigeration Units (on the back of a truck).
Here's an example of the socket in the bottom right hand corner of this pic:

Hi Trumpy,

Several suppliers I've talked to have noted that these are visually similar to Reyrolle sockets. But the earth is a separate pin, and you turn the plug to switch on, so it's much safer. It appears that they're still in production, but I'm not sure if the pin configurations have changed. I'll find out tomorrow when I call the supplier.

Chris

By the way: Wolfgang, what makes you say that Martin Lunel has obviously become part of Legrand?

Chris

Google told me that there is a "Martin Lunel" enterprise producing electric equipment here:
http://office.tourismeguise.free.fr/pages/lunel.htm

There are some other hints to this connection and telling that ML produces sockets/plugs within Legrand but I did not find any related ML websites and I have no access to the French online catalogue.

Wholesale fittings stock Martin Lunel plugs and sockets, the catalogue shown at http://www.wf-online.com/lunel.html seems to have that exact socket on the front cover

It looks like chipmunk has got the solution of your riddle. Nevertheless I'm curious and just would like to know whether the plugs are still produced and whether this is in France, as I thought after some internet surfing. I'd also like to know what they look like internally.

Interestingly, there is similar a system with regard to position of the contacts but probably built with a completely different philosophy: http://www.becma.ch/GB/index_gb.php?main=membres

This system is called "Marechal" and I remember that I had seen it in the Netherlands already.

Wolfgang

Welcome to the forum Chris.




What exactly was the problem with these? Was it just poor earth contact as the plug was being withdrawn with capacitive leakage giving a shock?

Thanks for the welcome, Paul.

Here's a picture of the inside for those who are interested. You can see a pair of contacts at the "4 o'clock" position:
http://www.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt22/ml_socket_inside.jpg

I talked to WF Electrical today. Martin Lunel are based in France but aren't owned by Legrand. This exact socket is still in production, but is horrendously expensive. The rubber plugs alone are £39 + VAT! Consequently I think I'll have to find another solution. I'm now considering fitting the machine with brand new Legrand Hypra metal sockets instead. These sockets are cheaper than the Martin Lunel plugs(!) if I go for the regular range, or a bit more if I go for the "Prisinta" switched range. Probably I will go for the regular range.

By the way, I need some 30 A "Slydlok" fuse carriers for the same machine. Anyone know where to buy them?

Best wishes,

Chris

[This message has been edited by cdtidy (edited 10-24-2005).]