The Wimshurst machine is an electrostatic generator developed by James Wimshurst in the 1880s that uses two counter-rotating disks.
Insulating disks carry metal sectors and rotate in opposite directions. Small initial charges are amplified by electrostatic induction, while brushes and collecting combs transfer charge to Leyden jars or other terminals. The machine can produce high voltage, though usually at very low current.
James Wimshurst, a British inventor, demonstrated the design in the 1880s. Its symmetrical arrangement made it more reliable than several earlier influence machines, including versions associated with Wilhelm Holtz and August Toepler.
The Wimshurst machine is often confused with the Van de Graaff generator. A Wimshurst machine builds charge through rotating disks and induction; a Van de Graaff generator transports charge on a moving belt to a large terminal. Both are educational electrostatic machines, not practical household power sources.