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INDEX OF CATEGORIES

ELECTRICITY
1 CYLINDRICAL CONDUCTOR WITH ELECTRIC PENDULUMS
2 ELECTRIC CARILLON
3 CAVENDISH-BECCARIA ELECTRIC HOLLOW GLOBE
4 LIGHTNING-CONDUCTORS
5 LEYDEN JARS
6 BATTERY OF NINE LEYDEN JARS
7 LUMINOUS LEYDEN JAR
8 LANE'S MICROMETRICAL SPARK GAP WITH LEYDEN JAR
9 FRANKLIN'S BATTERY
10 EPINOUS'S CONDENSER
11 DISCHARGER
12 DISCHARGER
13 ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGER WITH DOUBLE FORK
14 MASCART'S INSULATORS
15 VOLTA'S PISTOL
16 VOLTA'S PISTOL (2 PIECES)
17 PITH-BALL AND GOLD LEAF ELECTROSCOPES
18 BOHNENBERGER'S ELECTROSCOPE
19 BOHNENBERGER'S ELECTROSCOPE
20 PELTIER'S ATMOSPHERIC ELECTROMETER
21 PELTIER'S ATMOSPHERIC ELECTROMETER
22 HENLY'S ELECTROMETER
23 ELECTROSTATIC BALANCE
24 THOMSON-MASCART'S QUADRANT ELECTROMETER
25 WINTER'S PLATE ELECTRICAL MACHINE
26 ACCESSORIES OF THE WINTER'S MACHINE
27 SPIRAL FULMINATING TUBE
28 HOLTZ'S ELECTROSTATIC INFLUENCE MACHINE
29 ELECTROSTATIC MACHINE WITH SELF-EXCITATION TOPLER-VOSS
30 POTASSIUM BICHROMATE ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
31 NOBILI'S PORTABLE GALVANOMETER
32 ASTATIC GALVANOMETER
33 MELLONI'S THERMOMULTIPLIER
34 UNIVERSAL MEASURING DEVICE, MOVING COIL TYPE
35 AMPERE'S APPARATUS
36 MAGNETIC SPARKLER
37 INSTRUMENTS OF NOBILI'S "ELECTROMAGNETIC BOX"
38 BARLOW'S WHEEL [1]
39 SMALL CONTAINER WITH TWO VERTICAL WIRES [2]
40 SMALL CONTAINER WITH TWO HORIZONTAL WIRES [3]
41 FARADAY'S DEVICE FOR THE CONTINUOUS CIRCUIT [4]
42 DEVICE FOR SHOWING THE DIRECTIVE ACTION OF THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD ON VERTICAL CURRENTS
43 DEVICE FOR SHOWING THE CONTINUOUS ROTATION OF A MOVING CIRCUIT BY MEANS OF A FIXED CIRCULAR CURRENT
44 MATTEUCCI'S SPIRAL PLATES INDUCTION DEVICE
45 LITTLE MEDICAL INDUCTION COIL WITH MANUAL CONTACT-BREAKER (WHEEL TYPE)
46 LITTLE MEDICAL INDUCTION COIL WITH HAMMER-BREAKER (HORSESHOE-SHAPED ELECTROMAGNET TYPE)
47 INDUCTION COIL
48 INDUCTION COIL WITH PLATINUM AND MERCURY CONTACT-BREAKERS
49 INDUCTION COIL WITH SPARK GAP AND FOUCAULT CONTACT-BREAKER
50 INDUCTION COIL
51 DE LA RIVE INDUCTION COIL
52 BOURBOUZE'S ELECTROMOTOR
53 CLARKE'S MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE
54 MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE FOR ELECTROTHERAPY
55 VOLTAIC ARC WITH MANUAL ADJUSTMENT
56 ELECTRIC EGG
57 DE LA RIVE'S ELECTRIC EGG
58 GENERAL VIEW OF THE EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE WITH DEVICES FOR ELECTRICAL ENERGY CONTROL AND DISTRIBUTION
59 RIGHI'S THREE SPARKS OSCILLATOR
60 COUPLE OF TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER TELEPHONES WITH WHISTLE CALLING
61 FOUR TELEPHONES BELL-TYPE
62 TWO TELEPHONES BELL-TYPE
63 RIGHI'S TELEPHONE RECEIVER
64 RIGHI'S MICROPHONE
65 PNEUMATIC TELEGRAPHS (DIAL TYPE)
66 SKINWIRE FOR TELEGRAPHIC LINES
67 MORSE'S RECORDING TELEGRAPH WITH KEY

OUR COLLECTION OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

ELECTRICITY




Volta's pistol [1] Pistola di Volta
Subjects: electrochemistry/eletrical spark gaseous detonator Settore: elettrochimica/detonatore gassoso da scarica elettrica
Inventory Number: 5 Numero di inventario: 5
Unsigned Non firmata
Before to 1842 [historical inventory] Periodo di costruzione: Precedente al 1842 [inventario storico]
Oak, brass, glass, cork, lacquered wax Materiali utilizzati: Rovere, ottone, vetro, sughero, ceralacca
Barrel: Ø max. 55 mm; length: 265 mm Dimensioni: Canna: Ø max. 55 mm; lunghezza: 265 mm
   
This device shows the chemical explosive effects of the electric spark up on certain gaseous mixtures. Its creation derives from the studies relating to the progress of pneumatic chemistry in the 18th century. From Boyle to Lavoisier, the studies recorded the discovery and classification of new gases, providing, in particular, information about the nature and the chemical properties of air. Among the contributions to such progress there was also the activity of the famous physicist Alessandro Volta of Como (1745-1827), which culminated in the discovery of natural gas or of the "inflammable air typical of the marshland", as it was originally called, in the autumn of 1776. The discovery induced Volta to study the nature and the properties of the new gas and to carry out many experiments on the "new air's capacity" to ignite. From the results of this experiment, he also invented the electric pistol, whose most important novelty was the possibility of making the "booming mixture" explode in a closed environment by means of an electric spark that Volta generally obtained with a small "pocket-size electrophorus".
Questo dispositivo mostra gli effetti chimici esplosivi della scintilla elettrica su opportune miscele gassose. La sua ideazione è riconducibile agli studi e ai progressi della chimica pneumatica del XVIII secolo. Da Boyle a Lavoisier, tali studi avevano registrato la scoperta e la classificazione di nuovi gas, fornendo in particolare informazioni sulla natura e le proprietà chimiche dell'aria. Tra gli artefici di tali progressi c'è anche l'opera del celebre fisico comasco Alessandro Volta (1745-1827) suggellata dalla scoperta, nell'autunno del 1776, del metano o dell'"Aria infiammabile nativa delle paludi", secondo la sua definizione originaria. Tale scoperta portò il Volta a studiare la natura e le proprietà del nuovo gas, a produrre numerose esperienze sulla capacità infiammatoria della "nuova aria" ed a trarre da esse l'invenzione della pistola elettrica, la cui novità più rilevante era quella di far scoppiare la "miscela tonante" in ambiente chiuso attraverso una scintilla elettrica che il Volta ricavava, generalmente, tramite un piccolo "elettroforo da tasca".
   
Description: the main part of the pistol is made of brass; the handle consists of two carved oak pieces, which are attached to each other on a brass frame. The firing barrel is closed at one end by a cork. The upper part of the cylinder is pierced and connected with a small vertical brass cylinder, which is completely enclosed within the large cylinder, nearly touching the bottom part of it. The small cylinder is internally insulated by a glass coating and, in the external hole, by sealing-wax. The small cylinder lacks the brass spark gap, a rod with two small spheres at each end, half of which is outside and the other half inside the cylinder and the sphere of which is near the internal wall of the container. Sealing-wax insulates the external part of the electrode of the metallic shell of the pistol.
Descrizione: il corpo principale della pistola è interamente d'ottone; il manico è costituito da due pezzi lavorati di quercia, saldati a pressione tra di loro su di una base d'ottone. La canna da fuoco è chiusa ad una sua estremità da un tappo di sughero. La parte superiore del tamburo è forata e connessa con un cilindretto d'ottone verticale posto internamente al tamburo, fino quasi a toccare il fondo di quest'ultimo. Il cilindretto è internamente isolato da un rivestimento in vetro e, sul foro esterno, da ceralacca. Il cilindretto è mancante dello spinterometro d'ottone, un'asta con due sferette alle estremità, che emerge per metà all'esterno e per l'altra metà penetra all'interno del cilindro, posizionandosi con la sferetta in vicinanza della parete interna del recipiente. Della ceralacca provvede ad isolare esternamente l'elettrodo dalla cassa metallica della pistola.
   
Function: The explosive gas charge [1] is prepared to be introduced into the barrel or into the combustion chamber of the pistol. Through an electrostatic machine, a Leyden jar or an electrophorus, an electric spark is sent to the spark gap. This generates a spark in the internal part which causes the "booming mixture" to explode by combustion, thus producing the violent ejection of the cork.
Funzionamento: si prepara la carica gassosa esplosiva [1] da introdurre nella canna o nella camera di scoppio della pistola. Tramite una macchina elettrostatica o una bottiglia di Leida o un elettroforo, si comunica allo spinterometro esterno una scarica elettrica; questa genera al suo interno la scintilla che fa esplodere per combustione la miscela tonante, producendo la violenta espulsione del tappo.
   
Bibliography: Volta [1816], vol. III, pp. 133-174; Ganot [1855], pp. 595-596; Gliozzi [1967], pp. 237-276; Greenslade [1987], pp. 55-57.
Bibliografia: Volta [1816], Tomo III, pp. 133-174; Ganot [1855], pp. 595-596; Gliozzi [1967], pp. 237-276; Greenslade [1987], pp. 55-57.
   
[1] Through his numerous experiments, Volta often mixed several gases in different parts. In his opinion, "thundering air" was an explosive mixture of metallic flammable air [hydrogen] and dephlogisticated air [oxygen]. He often mixed the flammable air of the marshes [methane] with ordinary air, or ordinary air with flammable metallic air.

[1] Volta nelle sue innumerevoli esperienze usava miscelare in diverse proporzioni alcuni gas. "L'aria tonante" era, secondo la sua definizione, una miscela esplosiva di aria infiammabile metallica [idrogeno] ed aria deflogisticata [ossigeno]; talvolta mischiava dell'aria infiammabile delle paludi [metano] con aria comune, oppure quest'ultima con aria infiammabile metallica.

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