AUTO HEADLIGHT GLASS - VISIBLE FEATURES OF FORENSIC UTILITY

• NCJ Number: 46176
• Author(s): H L STEINBERG
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 140 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Commerce; US Dept of Commerce
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; US Dept of Commerce; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS REPORT IS DESIGNED TO AID THE FORENSIC SCIENTIST IN EXTRACTING INFORMATION FROM HEADLIGHT GLASS FRAGMENTS FOR PURPOSES OF VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION.

Abstract

DESCRIPTIONS ARE PRESENTED OF THE MARKINGS AND OTHER VISIBLE FEATURES OF LENSES AND REFLECTORS FROM SEALED BEAM HEADLIGHTS USED IN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVING SIGNIFICANT U.S. SALES. SOME OF THE VISIBLE FEATURES WHICH CAN HAVE FORENSIC UTILITY INCLUDE FLUTING PATTERN; LAMPMAKER OR AUTOMAKER LOGO; MOLD, PLUNGER, AND OTHER LENS MARKINGS; BEAM-TYPE MARKING; CURVATURE; TYPE OF AIMING PAD; REFLECTOR MARKINGS; AND COLOR. GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANIES WHICH MANUFACTURE SEALED BEAM HEADLIGHTS, THE PROCESSES BY WHICH THE LAMPS ARE FABRICATED, AND OTHER BASIC STATISTICAL DATA ON HEADLIGHTS IS OFFERED. THIS INFORMATION, WHEN TAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DATA ON HEADLIGHT FEATURES, CAN FACILITATE DEDUCTIONS ABOUT THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION. APPENDIXES PRESENT PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE LENS PATTERNS, LENS DRAWINGS, SCHEMATICS OF SELECTED WESTINGHOUSE MONOGRAMS, SPECIFICATIONS FOR SOME EARLY WESTINGHOUSE MONOGRAMS, AND SELECTED DEPICTIONS OF GENERAL ELECTRIC'S PAR 46 AND 56 HEADLAMP LENSES.