Nairne's Cylinder Machine

Nairne's cylinder machine was a development of von Guericke's sulphur globe machine. In this device a large glass cylinder can be turned by a handle. Against one side a leather rubber is pressed. The rubber is coated with an amalgam of tin or zinc. Attached to the rubber is a piece of silk that passes over the top of the cylinder. Charge is collected by a metallic comb connected to a metallic cylinder known as the prime conductor.