Chris M.
Flashlight Enthusiast
Thought I`d share the latest addition to my small and slow-growing collection of vintage flashlights. Only this one isn`t a traditional flashlight. Made by prolific British manufacturer Pifco, catalog number 1598 to be precise:
It consists of a fairly ordinary chrome plated 2C body but has this big traffic-wand-looking part for a head:
In the end of this enlarged head is a plastic lens, which works together with a simple focussing mechanism:
...and this special bulb that has a straight-wire tungsten filament that`s in a flat V-shape:
...to project an arrow shape that you`d use to highlight areas of interest during slideshows or presentations using those giant overhead projectors. The ones where you`d put the document to be projected on a platform underneath a bright thousand-or-so watt bulb inside, and a mirror together with a huge lens would project it out the front onto the screen.
It`s very bright in here right now, the arrow is actually quite noticeable though not as bright as a laser would be. Of course the projectors used back in the days this torch was made wouldn`t be as bright as some units today so I imagine it was rather effective. Sorry but I don`t have a laser on hand to compare it to.
An interesting item from the days before diode lasers and digital video projectors. And yes, you could probably also use it as a traffic wand if you wanted to - the whole head glows bright red during use.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
It consists of a fairly ordinary chrome plated 2C body but has this big traffic-wand-looking part for a head:
In the end of this enlarged head is a plastic lens, which works together with a simple focussing mechanism:
...and this special bulb that has a straight-wire tungsten filament that`s in a flat V-shape:
...to project an arrow shape that you`d use to highlight areas of interest during slideshows or presentations using those giant overhead projectors. The ones where you`d put the document to be projected on a platform underneath a bright thousand-or-so watt bulb inside, and a mirror together with a huge lens would project it out the front onto the screen.
It`s very bright in here right now, the arrow is actually quite noticeable though not as bright as a laser would be. Of course the projectors used back in the days this torch was made wouldn`t be as bright as some units today so I imagine it was rather effective. Sorry but I don`t have a laser on hand to compare it to.
An interesting item from the days before diode lasers and digital video projectors. And yes, you could probably also use it as a traffic wand if you wanted to - the whole head glows bright red during use.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
