Jelly Crimps

[VicParticipant @vic]

I was in an Electrical Factors today and a Sparky was buying some of these. I had to ask, as I’ve not seen them before.

https://youtube.com/shorts/r-M1IVnyvds?si=5YL2LoLtJZBEr-va

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Used for many years in the UK external telecoms copper network; not ideal for CAT 5 data (or CAT6,6a etc)
I believe there are similar ones for higher power applications to use instead of WAGO connectors, but are larger than shown in Vic’s video clip.

See pliers crimping 8a

https://www.britishtelephones.com/tools/plierscrimping.htm

and then follow the link to

https://www.britishtelephones.com/connectorswireinsulated.htm

Bill

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

If I remember rightly the grease-filled ones were introduced along with aluminium conductors, to allow jointing to other aluuminium or to copper wire. The filling is probably either silicone grease or petroleum jelly.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Interesting, never came across them before, reminds  me of another type of wire connectors which used to be common years back, where the two wires were inserted into a cone shaped holder and simply twisted together.

[Nigel Graham 2]

On Nigel Graham 2 Said:

If I remember rightly the grease-filled ones were introduced along with aluminium conductors, to allow jointing to other aluuminium or to copper wire. The filling is probably either silicone grease or petroleum jelly.

The years of the copper shortage and untwisting exchange 4wire jumper wire to create 2wire such joy.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

And all that hand-scraping on the forest of sharp solder termimals on Main Distribution Frames… I remember Post Office Telephones issued special leather gloves to protect your hands.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Dave, Nigel, where were you two guys then?
I was Sheffield and retired from Internal Construction in 2015, having joined in ’79.

Bill (Though known as Steve at work)

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Citizens of Milton Keynes had poor broadband for years as a result of these I believe. When I was with BT Research developing CATV systems for MK around 1973 they were building the city and Ali cables had just come along with these “permanent” crimps so we’re used all over.

[peak4]

On peak4 Said:

Dave, Nigel, where were you two guys then?
I was Sheffield and retired from Internal Construction in 2015, having joined in ’79.

Bill (Though known as Steve at work)

Birmingham A and sometimes Anchor transmission works orders. 10 years ahead of you.

[larry phelan 1]

On larry phelan 1 Said:

Interesting, never came across them before, reminds  me of another type of wire connectors which used to be common years back, where the two wires were inserted into a cone shaped holder and simply twisted together.

The dreaded “wire nut” “Marr connector” or “Marrette”. The early ones were just a ceramic thimble with a coarse, tapered, internal thread. Modern ones are plastic with a close wound coil spring inside. Popular in North America. Canada claims othave invented them.  Problem is poor vibration resistance. To counter this some have a brass tube with set screw, like half the inside of a “choc-bloc”, with a screw on insulation cap.
Not common in the UK and a quick  internet search didn’t find any with EU/UK approvals. This one has Canadian, CSA and USA, UL approvals :
https://tnb.ca.abb.com/en/pdf-catalogues/wire-termination/wire-connectors/833-wide-range-ergonomic-compact-design.pdf

Robert.

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

I still have a couple of the UK ceramic wire nuts which came out of a 1938 two-wire (no earth) house installation. I was told by a friend in the electricity board in 1980 that it didn’t even meet the 1939 reguulations.

George

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Wow, I still use them over here now. I also use the set screw type.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Peak4 –

Where were Dave and I?

I was a Post Office Telephones “Trainee Technician Apprentice” (2nd-year failed), in the Bournemouth Telephone Area.

Early 1970s so early in the change from Strowger to electronic telephone-exchanges, from tidy exchange cabling to snakes’-orgies, and the introduction of the short-lived Trimphone.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Not knowing what a wire nut was I Google it. I am glad I have never seen one.

I did meet the use of a small copper tube to join two field telephone wires while in the army cadets. We visited a signal regiment and were shown this smart idea where wire were inserted into either end of a copper tube which was then twisted. It needed three hands to do the job but was better than sitting there trying to find the one copper strand in a bundle of steel wire. With both wires prepared you had to then tie the two together. Mechanical engineering suddenly had far more appeal.

JA

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