The Disk Electrical Machine

The single disk or plate machine is constructed with a disk of insulating material, most commonly glass, but also often of ebonite. In the example shown there are two pairs of rubbers, sandwiching the disk top and bottom. The prime conductor, as it was called, is formed by the pair of interconnected metal rods to the left, they are insulated from the base on glass rods. Attached to the ends of the prime conductor are a pair of double collectors, arranged to collect charge from either side of the plate. The rubbers are grounded by the chain that can be seen below the table towards the right hand side.

There are other forms of this machine found, developed first by Le Roy, and modified by Winter. In these there is only one rubber with an attached flap of silk covering one quarter of the disk.

The mechanism of operation is the same as that of the cylinder machine.