The Wimshurst Machine was Invented in 1883 by British inventor James Wimshurst. The Wimshurst Machine is an electrostatic generator. It requires no electrical input, only mechanical power This Wimshurst machine includes two Leyden Jars, which act as simple capacitors and allow more charge to be Stored. Its invention preceded that of the Van de Graaff generator by about 50 years. Van de Graaff Generators are more efficient and able to store more charge at a higher potential, and thus able to Produce larger sparks for the same effort. Electrostatic induction is the main idea which is going on which means that redistribution of electrical charge in an object caused by nearby charges.