Chamberlain frictional plate electrostatic generator
date: label: date made
content: ca. 1840
label: date made
content: ca 1840
name: label: maker
content: Chamberlin
label: maker
content: Chamberlain, Nathan B.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: 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.
label: Description (Brief)
content: In the latter 1700s electrical researchers adopted improved electrostatic machines that replaced earlier glass cylinders with a flat glass plate. This increased the machines’ efficiency by passing the glass plate between leather rubbing pads that increased the contact area. Experience with plate machines brought many design variations with sizes ranging from small table-top units for laboratory use to large cabinets that powered early x-ray machines.
label: Description (Brief)
content: This large plate-type electrostatic machine shows a simple cruciform design. Two wooden posts support an axle with a brass hub that holds the glass plate. The handle on one side turns the axle. A post on the short end of the machine holds the rubbing pads although the lather pads are missing. The pads contacted both sides of the plate and provided the friction that generated the charge. A post on the long end of the machine holds a brass cylinder called the prime conductor which stores the charge. The ball-tipped, comb threaded into the prime conductor transfers the charge from the plate to the cylinder.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Wofford College
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.325971
label: catalog number
content: 325971
label: accession number
content: 256314
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Electrostatic Machine
label: Object Name
content: electrostatic generator
label: Other Terms
content: Electrostatic Machine; Electrostatic Devices
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: base: 13 in x 36 in x 80 in; 33.02 cm x 91.44 cm x 203.2 cm
label: Measurements
content: glass disk: 1/4 in x 36 in; x .635 cm x 91.44 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 48 in x 40 in x 90 in; 121.92 cm x 101.6 cm x 228.6 cm