The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1998
Roman Baldur, Waterloo, CA;
Forensic Technologies Wai Inc., Montreal, CA;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for imaging fired bullets and/or cartridges for forensic examination, which facilitate mounting of the ammunition to be imaged. The apparatus comprises a mounting support including a fired bullet holding device and a fired cartridge holding device, a microscope, an illumination device and a mechanical device for selectively aligning the optical axis of the microscope with a bullet section or the longitudinal axis of the cartridge showing its head surface. The bullet holding device comprises a rotary member extending through a mounting support and ending with an adjustable bullet holder for maintaining the bullet in a desired angular orientation with respect to a transverse reference plane aligned with the optical axis of the microscope, while the rotary member is being rotated about its rotation axis to scan the imaged surface area. According to a preferred embodiment, the adjustable bullet holder includes a bullet mounting ball for attaching thereto the bullet and being received in a socket portion of the rotary member, and a retaining device for maintaining the mounting ball and the attached bullet in the desired angular orientation. The retaining device preferably comprises a magnetic source using ferromagnetic properties of the mounting ball to provide retaining thereof, while providing mechanical coupling for imparting rotation to the rotary member as desired. The apparatus and method according to the invention are particularly useful in connection with an automated ammunition examining system.