From the very beginning of history, humanity has been constantly searching for a way to create a portable light source. This role was played by various candles, torches, and kerosene lamps. But they had drawbacks - these portable light sources used a flame, so they were impractical and unsafe. This problem was solved by the creation of the incandescent lamp and dry battery at the end of the 19th century.

The first flashlight was invented by David Mizell, an English inventor in 1899. It ran on 3 D size batteries, which were placed in a tube that acted as the handle of the device. The batteries provided power to a small incandescent lamp and simply pressing a button would turn the light on and off. They became known as “flash” lights because they could not shine for long periods of time. You had to turn off the flashlight to let it rest, as it ran on zinc-carbon batteries. Batteries of this type could not provide stable, constant light over a long period of time.

The first flashlights sold poorly for two reasons: poor battery performance and the inefficiency of carbon filament bulbs. Flashlights have become more efficient by replacing carbon filaments with tungsten filaments and improving the battery. All this increased their popularity and lanterns began to replace lamps with flammable liquids.

By 1922, there were various designs of lanterns. There were classic cylindrical versions, models in the form of spotlights for illuminating large areas, and small pocket flashlights. Various designs and different applications were the main factors behind the high demand.

Modern flashlights have similar parts and function the same way. Most often, LED or incandescent lamps are used in flashlights. LEDs are electrical elements, semiconductors, that emit light. They are much more efficient than incandescent lamps and last much longer. LED lights use batteries as power sources, but they also work on batteries or supercapacitors, they can be charged mechanically or using solar energy. Lanterns come in countless variations. They can be made as a pen or as a keychain, as a headlamp for a helmet or as a powerful spotlight mounted on a weapon - there are hundreds of applications.

A flashlight is something that was a novelty and has become a real necessity that can be used in various fields. The result is truly impressive.

Important events in the history of lanterns

Every person has at least one flashlight in case of emergency. You can find it in every toolbox: flashlights are used by mechanics, electricians, firefighters, various emergency services, hikers and sportsmen, hunters and fishermen, and so on. It can also be found in the car, on keys and even in a toy box.

Even though the flashlight is a relatively new invention, it has become a must-have device for everyone.

1866 - The first battery appeared. It was invented by French inventor Georges Laclanche. He called it a "single electric liquid generating battery." It was a “wet” battery - it was a glass vessel filled with manganese dioxide, zinc, ammonium chloride and with a carbon plate on the positive contact of the battery. She was intolerable.

1879 - Thomas Edison created the incandescent light bulb.

1888 - German scientist Karl Gessner improved the battery by placing the chemistry of wet batteries in a sealed zinc container. This is how the first dry, portable batteries appeared.

One day, Joshua Lionel Cowan, owner of the American battery manufacturing company Eveready, created a decorative lighting device for indoor plants. It was a tube with a light bulb and a dry battery that could last for 30 days.

To gain recognition, Mizell and Hubert created several hand-held lanterns and donated them to New York police officers.

Mizell received several patents for flashlights. Later, these patents were assigned to Hubert's company. In 1899, Hubert proudly submitted his clover-shaped bicycle light for patent. These and 23 other products were introduced in 1899 in the catalog of the American battery company Eveready with the slogan "Let there be light."

1888 - Russian emigrant and inventor Conrad Hubert created the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company (later renamed Eveready).

1898 – Release of the first Ever Ready flashlight. The cover of the Eveready catalog (1899), which featured the new lanterns, featured the biblical wisdom “Let there be light.”

1906 - Hubert sold half the shares of his company to the National Carbon Company, a supplier of battery materials, for $200,000. However, Hubert remained president of the company.

1906 – The brand name has changed from Ever Ready to Eveready®.


1910 - Significant improvements have been made in the production technology of lanterns. Tungsten incandescent lamps were invented. They replace incandescent lamps with carbon filament, because... tungsten lamps were much more efficient and brighter.

People no longer had to worry about kerosene lamps or candle flames. According to the Eveready brochure, which was called “101 reasons to use Eveready,” To 1916 A flashlight is considered an essential device for personal use. "A light that never flickers, won't go out in the wind, and is controlled by the touch of a finger. Everyone needs a light like that!" Some other reasons given in this brochure were: reading packaging on fruit, making Morse code signals, and filling a primus stove. There have also been significant changes in the design of the lanterns. The power button, which had to be held constantly for the flashlight to work, changed to the button we use now.

1963 - Invention of lithium batteries.

1966 - The first plastic lantern.

1967 - The first rechargeable flashlight.

1968 - The first fluorescent flashlight.

1970 - The first waterproof flashlight. First push-button switch.

1983 - The first fluorescent lights running on 4xAA.

1984 - The first 2D halogen flashlight.

1998 - Eveready® celebrates 100 years of leadership among lighting manufacturers.

Today, Energizer is the world's leading manufacturer of flashlights and batteries, producing more than 6 billion batteries annually.

No more problems with light

With the advent of improved materials, flashlight bodies began to be made from high-strength plastics or lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum alloys, with ergonomic recesses in the flashlight handle.

Nowadays it is unlikely that anyone will be able to surprise anyone with a flashlight that can be recharged more than once. There are also flashlights without batteries or rechargeable batteries, and dynamo flashlights that use solar or induction energy. Using LEDs as a light source allows you to save the energy of batteries or rechargeable batteries at times, thanks to which the LED flashlight shines not for hours, but for whole days.

Thus, the flashlight has come a long and difficult way to modern LED flashlights. This can safely be called a real revolution in portable lighting.

How did the first lanterns appear?:

The first lighting devices appeared many millennia ago. When the sun set and darkness fell, man remained defenseless from predators hiding in the darkness. Having tamed fire, primitive man began to use it in the dark. Fire provided light, warmth, and protection from wild animals. The need for safe movement at night led to the appearance of torches, which became a kind of portable light source.

Discoveries in the field of electricity led to the possibility of using it to create electric lighting devices. Attempts to use electricity for lighting were made in the first half of the nineteenth century. Thus, in 1838, the Belgian scientist Jobard created a lighting device with a carbon filament, and two years later an incandescent lamp with a platinum filament was designed.

The discovery of the phenomenon of electroluminescence of semiconductors in the twentieth century led to the creation of LEDs - semiconductor crystals that emitted light under the influence of voltage applied to them. The advent of LEDs made a real revolution in the lighting industry, and led to the creation of lighting devices with high brightness and low energy consumption.

Different types of flashlights - advantages and disadvantages:

Currently, the most common types of lanterns are:

  • - halogen lights;
  • - led lights;
  • - xenon lights (gas discharge).

Halogen lamps (lanterns) have a low cost, which is an undoubted advantage. Unfortunately, their shortcomings outweigh their low price.

These include:

  • low efficiency (a lot of energy is spent on radiated heat);
  • instability to vibration loads;
  • difficult to focus light.

An invention such as a lantern turned out to be so useful that it became firmly established in everyday life for obvious reasons. Agree that there is not a single person in the civilized world who has never used this wonderful device! To begin getting acquainted with the world-famous manufacturer of some of the best flashlights in terms of price and quality, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the history of the flashlight itself.

Lanterns in history

Since the time of the “taming” of fire, humanity has always searched for and invented ways to illuminate their lives in certain circumstances. The very first and most primitive lantern can be called an ordinary torch, which had a whole bunch of obvious shortcomings. Then, with the advent of wax, a candle was added to the means of lighting, and with the advent of combustible fuel - a kerosene lamp. Such light sources, although they were more advanced, also had their drawbacks - unsafety, short service life and the release of harmful substances during combustion.

The first street lamps appeared in England in 1417. They owe their appearance to the mayor of London, Henry Barton, who promulgated a decree on lighting city streets in the evenings, especially in winter.

The London lamps looked quite nice.

Subsequently, in 1667, the idea of ​​illuminating the city at night was supported by French king Louis XIV ordered oil lanterns to be installed on poles and houses throughout Paris. He also obliged all residents to install lamps in the windows of houses facing the street.

In our country, street lamps first appeared in St. Petersburg in 1706 by decree of Tsar Peter I, who ordered that the lamps be placed next to the Peter and Paul Fortress as a sign of victory over the Swedes. In 1718, lighting of the Neva River embankment appeared. And in 1730, street lighting appeared in Moscow.

The first street lamps of St. Petersburg.

The appearance of the first lantern is directly related to the invention of the incandescent lamp. The discovery was made by two people at the same time. The first one is Russian scientist Alexander Lodygin, who in 1874 patented a lamp in which coal was first used as a rod, and then tungsten.

The second inventor is the American Thomas Edison, who made a lamp (1879) that was reliable, economical and durable. The success lay in the material for the lamp rod, which used charred bamboo shavings. Edison not only created a model of a lamp that was practical and inexpensive to produce, but also established mass production.

Subsequently, Edison used tungsten as a material for the lamp rod, which was already used by his Russian colleague Alexander Lodygin. That's how two inventors different countries, one might say, together gave the world the incandescent lamp.

But let's return to hand-held lanterns. Now there is a reliable and practical light source, all that remains is to develop a source of portable energy.

Battery history

The first electric battery close to the modern type was invented even before the advent of incandescent lamps in 1866 by the French inventor George Leclanche. It was a fairly large open glass vessel filled with an electrolyte and two electrodes. It is clear that such a power source could not be suitable as a battery for a hand-held flashlight. He was large in size, which is why he lacked mobility. But the main thing is that when the position changes, the liquid could easily pour out. This changed when, in 1896, German engineer Karl Gessner developed a small portable dry-type battery, which consisted of a zinc cylinder filled with a solid, paste-like electrolyte.

The first battery with solid electrolyte.

In fairness, one cannot fail to mention the so-called Baghdad battery, which was discovered in 1936 in the vicinity of Baghdad. The item is a vessel approximately 2,000 years old, containing a copper cylinder with an iron rod inside. The throat is filled with bitumen, and another iron rod with traces of corrosion is passed through it. A copy of the find showed that if you pour acid or wine or vinegar that contains acid into a vessel, the “battery” will begin to produce a voltage of 1 volt. Although this does not prove that the vessel was once used as a source of nutrition, as many skeptics believe. But, as they say, we have what we have.

Baghdad battery

So, power supplies and the incandescent lamp were invented. All that remains is to create the hand-held flashlight itself.

Handheld flashlights

Inventor David Maisel distinguished himself here, who in 1896 received a patent for a hand-held flashlight powered by three batteries. The lantern itself had a wooden body and a switch in the form of a metal plate that closed electrical circuit. In 1898, an American emigrant from Russian Empire and inventor Conrad Hubert founds the Ever Ready Company to produce small batteries. By the way, today everyone knows this company as Energizer.

In the same year, he bought the patent from David and began producing hand-held flashlights. David Maisel remained to work with Conrad and improved the flashlights. This is how the first bicycle lamp appeared, and in 1899 the first hand-held lamp of a more familiar cylindrical shape.

Such flashlights also had a number of disadvantages - they could not shine for a long time (you had to turn off the flashlight - it could not provide stable light for a long period), and the light was rather dim.

Then it was a matter of technology - the company produces the world's first catalog (1899) and another 25 types of flashlights: tabletop, bicycle, handheld and other options. Thus began the era of hand-held electric lanterns - irreplaceable assistants, which replaced more imperfect and dangerous candles and kerosene lamps. Now you don’t need to think about the problem of lighting at the right time and in the right place!

Let's move on to the history of one of the most recognizable brands for the production of technological flashlights.

History of ArmyTek

It all started in 2007 when a small team from Canada became interested in LED lighting. The situation in this market was such that American and European companies offered reliable solutions, but lagged behind technologically from global trends, and Chinese manufacturers relied on accessibility, but at the same time, they were inferior in quality and technology. Against the backdrop of this situation, the young company decided to take a different path and start producing products that have all the necessary criteria - relative availability, reliability, quality and manufacturability. And we were already talking about the production of lighting equipment.

For these purposes, a team of the best scientists and engineers from the aviation, military and even space industries was assembled. Thanks to this, we were able to achieve amazing results in producing a first-class product. Another important decision was the use of high-quality components from the USA and Japan, in particular, the best LEDs from the American manufacturer Cree.

This is how the first Predator tactical flashlight appeared, which at that time contained many innovative solutions. The flashlight has passed the most severe tests in various climatic conditions.

And in 2009, production was opened in China, due to which it was possible to achieve competitive prices and mass production while maintaining constant quality and modern technologies. This is still facilitated by the use of modern equipment, proven materials and a thorough quality control system for the final product.

The final stage in the formation of the company was legal registration in 2010 in Canada under the name Armytek Optoelectronics Inc.

Why are Armytek flashlights so captivating? As already noted, the use of advanced Japanese and American components, the use latest technologies and equipment in production in compliance with quality control, as well as reliability, durability and manufacturability. The lanterns can easily survive falling from the tenth floor and being submerged under water to a depth of 50 meters. Tactical options can withstand the recoil of any caliber weapon and continue to operate smoothly. All this is reflected in the company's mission - to provide people with the most reliable and technologically advanced light in the world. The manufacturer's warranty is a full ten years for any flashlight!

And today, Armytek products are used by many people of different professions and occupations around the world: employees in special services, military personnel, security personnel, fishermen, hunters, rescuers, firefighters. Simply put, all those who need just such a trouble-free flashlight that works in difficult conditions, while having high-tech filling and various functions.

In the following articles we will consider various models Armytek flashlights.

To be continued...

The so-called sky lanterns came to us from China. They look like structures made of paper or fabric on a thin wooden frame. The device works in the same way as a hot air balloon and is very popular in the east.

These lanterns were first mentioned in ancient chronicles - it was said that General Zhuge Liangwu (180-234 AD) used these things to intimidate the troops of his enemies.

An oil lamp was placed under a rather large paper bag. Along the way, the bag filled with hot air and took off. The enemies were simply horrified, believing that Zhuge Liang was using the help of the gods.

But, nevertheless, a similar device was registered before Zhuge Liang - Joseph Needham says that similar paper balls, moving thanks to hot air, were known back in the 3rd century. BC uh.. A
Needham was a fairly great scientist and researcher of ancient Chinese culture, so we have no reason not to trust him.

In addition to intimidating enemies, Chinese lanterns had another useful function - they were used to send signals between units of the Chinese army and their command. After some time, launching lanterns also acquired a certain religious meaning.

The massive launch of these devices in Europe became noticeable in 2006. In 2004, five thousand sky lanterns were launched in Thailand, and in 2005 they were launched in memory of earthquake victims. We bought sky lanterns in bulk. The spectacle was extraordinary - many photographers became famous for the photographs they took on those bright nights.

The structure on which the bag is supported is a wooden frame made mainly of bamboo. The burner is fixed at the bottom; thin wire is used for fastening. The bag is most often made from porous paper or cotton fabric impregnated with wax. Polymers are often used for burners. Well, the paper, of course, is impregnated with special compounds that prevent it from catching fire.

Sky lanterns weigh about 50-100 grams and rise to a height of up to half a kilometer. The fuel burns for up to twenty minutes.

People made an attempt to illuminate the streets at the beginning of the 15th century. London Mayor Henry Barton was the first to take this initiative. By his order, lanterns appeared on the streets of the British capital in winter to help navigate in the impenetrable darkness. After some time, the French also made an attempt to illuminate the city streets. At the beginning of the 16th century, to illuminate the streets of Paris, residents were required to install lighting lamps on their windows. In 1667, Louis XIV issued a decree on street lighting. As a result, the streets of Paris were illuminated with many lanterns, and the reign of Louis XIV was called brilliant.

The first street lights in history used candles and oil, so the lighting was dim. Over time, the use of kerosene in them made it possible to slightly increase the brightness, but this was still not enough. IN early XIX centuries began to use gas lamps, which significantly improved the quality of lighting. The idea to use gas in them belonged to the English inventor William Murdoch. At the time, few people took Murdoch's invention seriously. Some even considered him crazy, but he was able to prove that gas lamps have many advantages. The first gas lamps in history appeared in 1807 on Pall Mall. Soon the capital of almost every European state could boast of the same lighting.

As for Russia, street lighting appeared here thanks to Peter I. In 1706, the emperor, celebrating the victory over the Swedes near Kalisz, ordered lanterns to be hung on the facades of houses around the Peter and Paul Fortress. Twelve years later, lanterns illuminated the streets of St. Petersburg. They were installed on Moscow streets on the initiative of Empress Anna Ioannovna.

A truly incredible event was the invention of electric lighting. The world's first incandescent lamp was created by Russian electrical engineer Alexander Lodygin. For this he was awarded the Lomonosov Prize of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. A few years later, American Thomas Edison introduced a light bulb that provided better illumination and was also inexpensive to produce. Undoubtedly, this invention displaced gas lamps from city streets.