plate-type frictional electrostatic generator
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 electrostatic machine may have been made by instrument maker Hippolyte Pixii (1808–1835) of Paris. Although referred to as a Ramsden machine, the unit has no direct link to Jesse Ramsden (1735-1800), an early developer of plate machines. According to historian Willem Hackmann, Ramsden’s name became a generic term in France for plate machines.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The machine is similar in appearance to a known Pixii machine in the collection (see catalog #1989.0029.14) but has only a single glass plate. Rotated by turning the crank on the end of the machine, the glass rubs against leather pads generating a static charge that is transferred to the brass frame, known as the prime conductor. The machine was used at the University of Georgia and came to the Smithsonian in 1965.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from the University of Georgia, thru C. Dewey Cooper
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.326308
label: catalog number
content: 326308
label: accession number
content: 258980
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: overall: 48 in x 48 in x 24 in; 121.92 cm x 121.92 cm x 60.96 cm