A non-round, but still an anniversary date in the history of Russian science and technology fell on September 11. On this day 140 years ago in St. Petersburg, on Odesskaya Street, the world's first electric lamps were lit, replacing the previous kerosene lamps. As one of the eyewitnesses wrote: “Suddenly, out of the darkness, we found ourselves on a street with bright lighting. In two lanterns, kerosene lamps were replaced by incandescent lamps that emitted bright white light. Those gathered admired this light without fire with delight and surprise.”
New flashlights were created by inventor Alexander Lodygin in full accordance with what we call innovation today. Lodygin invented, Lodygin produced, Lodygin implemented, Lodygin earned. The introduction of electric lighting in the city began, in fact, from the street where the inventor’s workshop was located.
Interestingly, this was the norm back then. No, the combination of a scientist, inventor and businessman in one person was also not an ordinary phenomenon. But still, the level of science itself was such that it still made it possible to combine a researcher, a technologist and a market tycoon in one human brain. The norm was something else - that, in general, the creator of the device himself brought it to life. None government programs there was practically no such thing; no one built technology parks or innovation centers. Invented? Create a demonstration sample, prove its usefulness to a strict departmental commission - then ask for money from the budget for further production. Or sell the invention to the treasury.
And it worked! In Russia, many revolutionary developments were created with the mark “first in the world.” "A lot" - in this case it means hundreds. Of which, the world's first turning and copying machine, single-span arched bridge, electric arc, caterpillar tracks, open-hearth technology (thirty years earlier than the Marten brothers), incandescent lamp, Submarine with an electric motor, airplane, electric welding, steam locomotive, hydrofoil, radio, water turbine, mortar, gasoline engine. And so on and so forth.
What about inventions, so to speak, with a consumer profile? Please: the world's first movie camera - two years before the Lumiere brothers, an automatic telephone exchange, a two-wheeled bicycle, a camera (and color photographs), a synthetic detergent, a television. And the list can also be continued.
A lot of things with the tag “first in the world” also refer to Soviet times - when the model of supporting invention became exactly the opposite: the state gave money, but it took the fruits of intellectual property for itself. And the question arises: what do we have with this today? Today, when billions of budget and corporate dollars are invested in innovation, in Skolkovo, Rusnano, in university technology parks and venture funds?
As they say on the Internet, “Google it and you’ll find it.” What does the search engine give us over the past year? Here are the headlines.
"Russia clones a mammoth for the first time in the world." In fact, it does not clone, but only assembles. And so far in words. In fact, the first person to directly approach the experiment was the Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk. Fortunately, a Korean themis stood in his way, and sentenced him to two years in prison for embezzlement. It is unknown whether ours will be able to take advantage of the temporary lag provided in this way.
“In Russia, for the first time in the world, a system has been implemented that allows aircraft to fly safely.” This is truly a great thing, reducing the risk of mid-air collision by orders of magnitude. The system, simply called ADS-B, turned out to be a breakthrough: simply put, it is built on the aircraft generating its own radio signal, which is received by another device, after which the computer complex itself moves objects apart. Without the use of a complex and expensive ground radar system, the most important thing is achieved: situational awareness of pilots and ground personnel. The question is, where will this system be fully implemented for the first time in the world? We have set a time frame of 2015 - 2020. But at the same time, Europe, the USA, and Australia are planning to do the same. Who will win?
“For the first time in the world, Russia has developed a heavy-duty gas turbine locomotive running on liquefied gas.” This is such a hefty locomotive, which during testing pulled a train of 171 cars with coal. At the same time, a special turbine created for it allows reducing fuel consumption by 39 percent compared to existing ones. And here - a good thing, but not without its "but". But the length of such a train will be about 5 km, and the railway infrastructure is designed for about 1.5 km. That is, you can’t stand up properly at stations, or, more importantly, you can’t go through turns at speed without harming the road surface. railway. What to do is the question.
"For the first time in the world, Russia designed, tested and put into production a passive radar system called Avtobaza-M."
An excellent development that allows, in the so-called passive location mode - that is, without the use of powerful radar systems that a potential air enemy sees and can quickly destroy - to determine the exact coordinates of a flying target, identify it and provide parameters for targeting air defense systems at it. “Very cheap and very cheerful...” - the author of the message accompanied his description, not without wit. But still, this is again not an innovation center. These are the military. This is their system, so to speak, for identifying and encouraging inventions.
Finally, “for the first time in the world, an oblique icebreaker will be built in Russia.” Also an ingenious model, in which the left side of the ship is significantly larger than the right, which is why the ship is able to cut a channel 50 meters wide, which is 2.5 times the width of the hull. True, this does not work in severe ice conditions, but for the waters of the Gulf of Finland, which freeze in winter, it is just right. But this is not a technology park either. This is the department again - this time the United Shipbuilding Corporation.
Actually, not so little - in a year! But it just turns out that these useful innovations are created and implemented by departments - railway workers, military, shipbuilders, aviation engineers. The way out from our home-grown “silicon valleys” is somehow still little noticeable. Don’t count the interface recently announced by Skolkovo for terminals at airports, which allows you to register an air ticket from any of them!
No, the question is not to start understanding the efficiency of innovation centers and technology parks. The question is different. Since a system, so to speak, “Edisonian”, with an inventor, implementer and seller, is impossible, and we have also gone far from the state one, shouldn’t we think about encouraging innovation where today they receive the tag “First in the world” "? Where large funds are concentrated, where there is a single customer, where is he a strict inspector of work?
In other words, shouldn’t we revive applied science? On a new basis - technology parks and innovation centers under large government departments?
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 the French king Louis XIV, who ordered the installation of oil lanterns 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 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 is the 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 sizes, which is why he is deprived of 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 lantern 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 the electrical circuit. In 1898, American emigrant from the Russian Empire and inventor Conrad Hubert founded 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 global trends in technology, and Chinese manufacturers relied on accessibility, but at the same time, 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 look at various models of Armytek flashlights.
To be continued...
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:
- short service life;
- low efficiency (a lot of energy is spent on radiated heat);
- instability to vibration loads;
- difficult to focus light.
Powerful illumination of megacities and street lighting of small settlements have made life modern people active, regardless of the time of day. At the same time, no one thinks about the question - who invented electric street lighting? , and how the lanterns were created.
The first street lamps and their creators
Artificial street lighting has come into use since the 15th century. The very first lantern provided a small area of illumination, as it used paraffin candles or hemp oil. Thanks to kerosene, the level of brightness on the streets was increased. But a revolutionary breakthrough occurred when the first electric lamp was invented, in the design of which carbon, and then tungsten and molybdenum filaments were used.
Jan van der Heijden
In the 17th century, the Dutch artist and inventor Hayden proposed placing oil lanterns along the streets of Amsterdam. Thanks to the system invented by Hayden, in 1668, the number of people falling into canals that were not fenced decreased, the number of crimes on the streets decreased, and the work of firefighters when extinguishing fires was made easier.
William Murdoch
In the 19th century, William Murdoch put forward an interesting idea about a way to light streets with gas, but he was laughed at. Despite ridicule, Murdoch clearly demonstrated that it was possible. This is how the first gas lighting devices came on fire on the streets of London in 1807. A little later, the inventor’s design spread to other European capitals.
Pavel Yablochkov
In 1876, Russian engineer Pavel Nikolaevich Yablochkov invented an electric candle and installed it in a glass sphere. The design was simple but effective. A carbon thread ran across the candles. When it came into contact with current, the thread burned out, and an arc lit up between the candles. This phenomenon, called arc electricity, marked the beginning of the first electrical devices. Russian “candles,” as they were called, were installed on the Liteiny Bridge in 1879. Also, 12 Yablochkov lamps were lit on the drawbridge across the Neva. The invention of electric street lighting marked the beginning of a new era in the use of electric current.
Interesting fact: in 1883, during the coronation of Emperor Alexander III, incandescent lamps illuminated the circular area near the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Kremlin.
The fruits of the invention were taken advantage of in European capitals.
Parisian and Berlin streets, shops, coastal areas - everything was illuminated by street lamps created using this Yablochkov technology. Residents called the street illumination symbolically: “Russian light,” and Pavel Yablochkov, a Russian engineer who invented electric street lighting, became known at that time in all enlightened circles of Europe.
However, after many world capitals were illuminated by the bright but short-lived light of arc electricity from Yablochkov’s “candles,” these devices lasted only a few years. They were replaced by more advanced incandescent lamps. The invention of the Russian engineer was practically forgotten, and Pavel Nikolaevich himself died in poverty in provincial Saratov.
A new stage in the development of street lighting
A significant contribution to the development of electric street lighting was made by the Russian scientist Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin and the American Thomas Alva Edison.
Lodygin created a light bulb design based on molybdenum and tungsten filaments twisted in a spiral. This was a breakthrough in the field of electrical discoveries. One of the most important criteria for a lighting device is the duration of operation. It was Lodygin who raised the resource of his lamps from 30 minutes to several hundred hours of operation. He was the first to use lamps with a vacuum, pumping air out of them. This made it possible to significantly extend the service life of the lighting device.
For the first time, Lodygin incandescent lamps appeared in street lighting on Odesskaya Street in St. Petersburg in 1873.
Having received a patent and a prize for his invention, Alexander Nikolaevich was unable to distribute it to the masses. The talented engineer did not have entrepreneurial acumen and was unable to bring production to the required scale.
Another engineer, the American Thomas Edison, was distinguished by his persistence in achieving his goal. It was he who, taking Lodygin’s invention as a basis, improved its design and was able to introduce it into widespread production. It cannot be said that Edison received his fame undeservedly. After all, he persistently conducted thousands of experiments and developed a very important stage in electric lighting - from the current source to the consumer, which made it possible to launch electric lighting on the scale of entire cities.
Thus, thanks to the knowledge of the Russian engineer Lodygin and the agility of the American scientist Edison, electric street lighting replaced gas lamps.
What the first lanterns looked like: video
A pocket flashlight is indispensable everywhere - at home, in a camping tent, on the evening highway, if a car suddenly has a flat tire... This useful idea has several fathers, including the American trader Conrad Huber and English engineers, who since 1896 independently designed compact portable sources of electric light. Attempts to create a convenient portable lamp began long before this time. In 1881, Ebenezer Burr and William Thomas Scott patented the first hand-held electric lamp in London - a small table lamp powered by a liquid battery. The disadvantage of the device was that it had to be held strictly horizontally so that acid would not leak out of the element. With the advent of dry cell batteries in 1883, the production of more compact hand-held lamps began. They were used mainly on bicycles and in mines.
Shine always, shine everywhere
Huber's lantern already had a form that is still common today: three cylindrical batteries were placed one after the other in the handle. The light bulb fed by them was covered with a small concave mirror - a reflector. With the advent of synthetic materials, the body of the flashlight became lighter, and it became possible to create stainless and waterproof models. The first pocket flashlights with rechargeable batteries appeared on sale in the late 1970s.
Prospects
Pocket flashlights of the future are so-called LED lamps based on semiconductor crystals. The high frequency of vibrations of the crystal lattice allows you to get bright light even from flashlights the size of a match.
Around 3000 BC: Wax candles were used in Egypt. For thousands of years they remained the most important portable light source.
Antiquity: pine splinters and oil lamps were used in everyday life.
- 1855: Benjamin Silliman equipped the kerosene lamp with a wick and a movable glass cylinder.
