Cylinder-type Electrostatic Machine
Cylinder-type Electrostatic Machine
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- Description (Brief)
- People from ancient times knew that rubbing certain materials and then touching something caused a spark. Studying what is called electrostatics laid the groundwork for understanding electricity and magnetism. Natural philosophers, scientists, and instrument makers created many ingenious devices to generate electrostatic charges starting in the 1600s. These machines varied in size and technique but all involved rotary motion to generate a charge, and a means of transferring the charge to a storage device for use.
- This machine was made in London by Edward Palmer (1803–1872) about 1840. The leather rubbing pad with a silk flap rides against one side of the cylinder and a brass prime conductor on the other side collects the charge with a brass comb. Both are mounted on insulating glass rods. A screw mechanism at the bottom adjusts the tension of the rubbing pad more precisely. During the 1750s electrical researchers refined the design of electrostatic machines by replacing earlier spherical globes with a glass cylinder, a design used for many years. This change increased the surface area of the glass in contact with the rubbing pad and improved the efficiency of the generator. Palmer sold microscopes and other scientific supplies from his shop on Newgate Street from about 1837 to about 1845 when he sold his business.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- cylinder-type frictional electrostatic machine
- electrostatic generator
- Other Terms
- cylinder-type frictional electrostatic machine; Electrostatic Devices
- date made
- ca 1840
- maker
- Palmer, E.
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- glass (overall material)
- brass (overall material)
- cloth (overall material)
- steel (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 15 1/2 in x 19 1/2 in x 10 in; 39.37 cm x 49.53 cm x 25.4 cm
- ID Number
- EM.319503
- catalog number
- 319503
- accession number
- 238500
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Science & Mathematics
- Electrostatic Machines
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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