# Origin of '3-way' and '4-way' terms?



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Very cool! That image should be a sticky on every DIY site out there. :laughing:

I'll see if Nathan can sticky that on the DIY Chatroom site.


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## tpr (Jan 10, 2008)

i like looking at old stuff and seeing where the origins of modern day items came from. i got one for you 480,on a modern single pole switch why is the switch up in the on position and down for off.it was explained to me that the old knife switches were installed that way ,so that gravity would open the switch if loose or not connected well. it just carried over to modern times. i find stuff like that intersting.i guess i have no life.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

tpr said:


> i like looking at old stuff and seeing where the origins of modern day items came from. i got one for you 480,on a modern single pole switch why is the switch up in the on position and down for off.it was explained to me that the old knife switches were installed that way ,so that gravity would open the switch if loose or not connected well. it just carried over to modern times. i find stuff like that intersting.i guess i have no life.


"Fail Safe" position. If it accidently goes down, it turn off instead of on, so an accident cannot turn the power on.

Here's another one: Origin of a '1900' box:


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

tpr said:


> i like looking at old stuff and seeing where the origins of modern day items came from. i got one for you 480,on a modern single pole switch why is the switch up in the on position and down for off.it was explained to me that the old knife switches were installed that way ,so that gravity would open the switch if loose or not connected well. it just carried over to modern times. i find stuff like that intersting.i guess i have no life.


UK Up is off, down is on!

as for the origin of 'names' UK famous manufacturer of joint boxes

A 601 has 6 terminals...obvious really
A 401 has 3 terminals
A 301 has 4 terminals......WTF??:laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

*1926*

Micheal over at Antique Sockets just let me know the catalog is from 1926.

Thanks, Mike! :thumbup:


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

What's interesting is that under each switch it still says "3 way" or "4 way".

Now, I can understand it being called "3 point" or "4 point", due to the number of terminals.

I have a tone of old books and material that I have ripped out over the years. I just haven't photo'd it yet. But I also love searching Google Patents. You can find alot of neat stuff there. Here's some cool patents regarding grounding devices.

U.S. Patent #1,791,264: A grounding receptacle. Don't know why this didn't catch on. Filed in 1925.
U.S. Patent #2,682,646: First appearance of the NEMA 5-15 configuration that I can find. Though according to the description, the U pin was for the neutral, not ground. Filed in 1950.
U.S. Patent #2,672,593: First Grounding Duplex in the 5-15 configuration. Filed in 1952.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> Very cool! That image should be a sticky on every DIY site out there. :laughing:
> 
> I'll see if Nathan can sticky that on the DIY Chatroom site.


no it should not! Are you ready to retire?

I also like the history! Thanks for sharing.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

480sparky said:


> "Fail Safe" position. If it accidently goes down, it turn off instead of on, so an accident cannot turn the power on.


FWIW, it's still in the NEC - 404.6


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## RICK BOYD (Mar 10, 2008)

I ask this question and an Englishman said they call them 3-wire & 4-wire devices


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

I still buy into the explanation that wires were called "ways", and thats why 3"ways" were called 3 ways Three wires.4 way,4wires.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

bobelectric said:


> I still buy into the explanation that wires were called "ways", and thats why 3"ways" were called 3 ways Three wires.4 way,4wires.


But then a DPST switch would be a 4-way as well. And a SPST would be a 2-way.


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## sherman (Sep 29, 2008)

480sparky said:


> But then a DPST switch would be a 4-way as well. And a SPST would be a 2-way.


Where do you find this stuff?? Do you have a time machine Marty Mcfly?


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

RICK BOYD said:


> I ask this question and an Englishman said they call them 3-wire & 4-wire devices


Can't think why, prob not an Electrician:no:

simple on-off switch is a 'one way'
single pole c/o switch is a 'two way'
dp c/o switch is an 'intermediate'

The number of actual 'switches' are called 'gangs'

so we have 1 gang 1 way, 1 gang 2 way, 2 gang 2 way etc etc etc and this is how all the UK manufacturers list them:yes:


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## Minuteman (Dec 29, 2007)

Just a stab, but how about this?

Both up or both down: On
One up/one down: Off 
Total of 3 ways???

Naw.. it don't work for four ways. Never mind. :no:



Maybe 3 wires = 3 ways and 4 wires = 4 ways was before the DPSP was invented? :blink:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Minuteman said:


> Just a stab, but how about this?
> 
> Both up or both down: On
> One up/one down: Off
> Total of 3 ways???


 
A pair of three-ways have 4 possible combinations Up-Up, Up-Down, Down-Up, Down-Down.



sherman said:


> Where do you find this stuff?? Do you have a time machine Marty Mcfly?


Yep, ever since ol' Doc Brown cracked his head on his toilet.







 
Actually, I collect old electric books.​


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