Leviton plug ground terminal

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w2tq

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Does anyone know the purpose of the L-shaped bracket on the ground terminal of this Leviton 515PV plug? I could insert the ground wire to the side of the tab adjacent the green screw, but that might not be the correct procedure for connecting the ground wire to the terminal.

lev-515pv-terminals.jpg?
 
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It might be for color blind person, I see it is stamped with GR. I'll stick with that until someone comes up with a better one.
 
I have used many of that particular cord cap. Never gave that odd item on the EGC connection a thought. Now it is bugging me what its true purpose is.
 
LarryFine said:
The only thing it clearly does is prevent inserting a second wire.
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That would be my guess as well.

Most typical uses this shouldn't be a problem, but some non qualified will do anything imaginable.

Devices are only supposed to allow one EGC conductor to the device, continuity of the EGC is not supposed to be interrupted if the device is removed. Logic says this is even more important on the receptacle end than the plug end, I don't know for certain if such rule actually applies to a plug, but seems they are carrying it over here even if not.
 
Fred B said:
It might be for color blind person, I see it is stamped with GR. I'll stick with that until someone comes up with a better one.
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I'm leaning toward the same idea that it's to identify the ground terminal in a more definitive manner than just some green laquer on the screw, so that presumably it will be less likely to be miswired. I believe that line of thinking would apply to a broader range of users than just those that are color blind, because they would still have to identify which wire is green .
 
hillbilly1 said:
If it wasn’t for the body being plastic, I would say bonding the other half of the connector when assembled, but then again, they may use the same part with the armored body? I’ve seen on other brands that a fork off the egc terminal bonds the body when it is metal.
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I think you're right! I seem to remember a spring that pressed against that tab.
 
hillbilly1 said:
If it wasn’t for the body being plastic, I would say bonding the other half of the connector when assembled, but then again, they may use the same part with the armored body? I’ve seen on other brands that a fork off the egc terminal bonds the body when it is metal.
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Does Leviton have a metallic cap version?

Eagle was one that had this for years. Think they were acquired by Cooper, then by Eaton. Don't know if that same model is still in production or not.
 
Thank you all for your replies. Last evening, I determined the purpose of the tab and a Leviton tech confirmed my conclusion.

The brass tab is for registration of the prong base - the tab mates with a keyway in the cap. Note the keyway in the lower portion of the cap in the photo (at the top end of the red line).

lev-515pv-cap-m1.jpg
 
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w2tq said:
Thank you all for your replies. Last evening, I determined the purpose of the tab and a Leviton tech confirmed my conclusion.

The brass tab is for registration of the prong base - the tab mates with a keyway in the cap. Note the keyway in the lower portion of the cap in the photo (at the top end of the red line).

View attachment 2554581
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Look at the opposite end, it is keyed also, in a way that the proper screw from the other half must line up, that bottom flat spot isn't as much of a key as what is on the top (in the photo) it is just making room for the components that go there. If you pulled all the metallic components out it still only goes together one way.
 
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