U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

AUTO HEADLIGHT GLASS - VISIBLE FEATURES OF FORENSIC UTILITY

NCJ Number
46176
Author(s)
H L STEINBERG
Date Published
1978
Length
140 pages
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.