What is this?

[Bonnewagon]

All I can find is "GE tandem and parallel" socket. Circa 1920's. I have come across a few over the years and no one knew what they were . I just removed a big hutch from a wall to get at and re-wire a dead socket and one of these was there. What kind of thing plugged into this? Are all four live? What about polarity? Strange.

 

[pontiacgp]

philadelphia-electricians-how-to.com

 

[Bonnewagon]

Yikes! A real antique. Yeah, I get rid of them just because they don't have a third ground but I have never seen a tandem plug ever. Steve when I got to that link my AVAST flagged it for a virus.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Found it. Harvey Hubbel invented it in 1904. They still make marine grade plugs and receptacles. He also patented the parallel socket we know today. Also made the combo socket I showed. By 1915 when you went to buy a socket these are what you got. My house was built in 1921 so it was "all new modern wiring".

 

[pontiac guy]

It's was so awesome they named a telescope after him!!!

 

[pontiacgp]

Yikes! A real antique. Yeah, I get rid of them just because they don't have a third ground but I have never seen a tandem plug ever. Steve when I got to that link my AVAST flagged it for a virus.

my norton doesn't mind it,

"This is the electrical version of Beta vs VHS. This plug can fit both our parallel style plugs and Tandem plugs. The parallel style plugs are the type we use today. The un-grounded type like you would find on a lamp can still operate in an outlet like this. The Tandem style plug has two horizontal flat blades. They fell out of favor in the early part of this century. The tandem parallel combo outlet was still sold in store up to the 1960. "