EP1988518A1

EP1988518A1 - Dispersal device for forensic material

Info

Publication number: EP1988518A1
Application number: EP08008356A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Digby Chetwode Ram
Original assignee: IBP-Group Ltd
Current assignee: IBP-Group Ltd
Priority date: 2007-05-01
Filing date: 2008-05-02
Publication date: 2008-11-05
Also published as: GB2448982B; GB0708410D0; GB2448982A; GB0807879D0

Abstract

A dispersal device comprises a sachet (4) containing a charge of forensic particulate material (3) bearing an identifying code. A pyrotechnic fuse head (1) within the sachet (4) is set off to burst open the sachet (4) and to disperse the forensic particles (3). A pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition (2) is ignited simultaneously or subsequently to produce a stream or cloud of dyed smoke (7) which flows out of the sachet (4) with the forensic particles (3) entrained therein. Forensic particles (3) may subsequently be retrieved from a surface stained by the dyed smoke (7) and traced back to a particular device. A similar device is usable in conjunction with security devices that generate obscuring fog or smoke to seed said fog with forensic particles (3)

Description

The present invention relates to a system for dispersal of forensic materials, more particularly forensically coded solid materials such as may be used in the identification of property following theft.
Solid materials tor identifying property may comprise minute circles of film or metal which are printed or etched in miniature with an identifying code. Alternatively, the solid materials may comprise a specific mixture of rare earth materials. These are used to mark property, in order that the property may be identified and linked to its rightful owner, usually following loss or theft. Such materials will be described below as "forensic particulate material."
Pyrotechnic smoke-dye devices are also known for use in marking property. These may be activated automatically in the event of theft, and mark with a coloured dye the property being stolen, for example bank notes.
Other security devices are known which, in the event of an attempted theft, create a volume of white smoke or glycol-based fog to hinder theft of property by severely restricting visibility in a room or other region adjacent the device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for dispersing forensic particulate material in conjunction with other security devices, and to provide security apparatus equipped with such a dispersion device.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device to disperse forensic particulate material as herein defined, comprising a charge of forensic particulate material, sachet means adapted to contain said forensic particulate material and pyrotechnic fuse-head means located within said sachet means and adapted to initiate dispersal of the forensic particulate material.
When the fuse-head means is activated, the sachet means bursts and the forensic particulate material is released.
The sachet means may be provided with at least one zone of increased frangibility.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided security apparatus comprising a device as described in the first aspect above.
Said security apparatus may be adapted to generate smoke, optionally dyed smoke, fog, mist, vapour or the like.
The fuse head means of said device may be programmable to be activated before activation of the security apparatus, for example before production of smoke, fog, or the like therefrom.
A smoke composition, fog generator or the like may subsequently be activated and the expansion or migration of gases discharges the forensic material, for example over bank notes and/or the clothing and body of a perpetrator.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a pyrotechnic smoke-dye package device embodying the present invention;
Figure 2 shows the package shown in Figure 1 at the moment rupture is initiated; and
Figure 3 shows the package shown in Figure 1 following rupture, exploding to release forensic material and smoke.

Referring now to the Figures, a dispersal device embodying the present invention comprises a fuse head 1, a pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition 2, and a compartment containing solid forensic particulate material 3. All the above are contained within a sachet 4 having a plurality of frangible zones 5, preferably located remotely from the pyrotechnic composition 2. The fuse head 1 is preferably located adjacent the frangible zones 5 of the sachet 4, and is linked to the pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition 2 by an elongate fast-burning fuse 6.
To disperse the forensic particulate material 3, the pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition 2 is set off by conventional means (typically in response to some form of alarm system). This initiates combustion of the fuse 6, which rapidly burns along its length and sets off the fuse head 1. The fuse head 1 contains a small pyrotechnic or explosive charge which bursts open the sachet 4, for example by breaking the frangible zones 5 (or in other embodiments by blowing open flaps usually biassed closed, or by blowing open a mouth of the sachet 4 normally held closed by a weak adhesive or by the configuration of the sachet 4 itself). The fuse head 1 also shakes up and disperses the particles of the forensic particulate material 3 within the compartment (Figure 2).
Meanwhile, the pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition 2 is burning to generate a copious stream of dyed smoke 7, which passes along the sachet 4 to exit through the frangible zones 5, etc. This stream of dyed smoke 7 entrains the dispersed forensic particulate material 3, which is thus projected out of the sachet 4 with the smoke 7.
The smoke-dye 7 will stain its surroundings, for example dyeing a bundle of banknotes in which it has been secreted, to prevent their use by a thief. A drawback of existing smoke-dye marking systems is that it may not be possible to link stained bank notes, recovered subsequently, to a particular theft. However, in the present invention, a plurality of forensic particles will also be deposited on the bank notes or other property. Each batch of forensic particulate material used in a device bears a unique identification means, and so one may recover a forensic particle from a stained piece of property, read off the identification means, and check back to where that particular batch was used. It is hence possible to link the recovered property to a specific event such as a theft. If the smoke-dye 7 contacts the person or clothes of a thief, then the thief can similarly be linked to the specific theft by recovering and identifying forensic particles 3 from the smoke-dye stains.
In an alternative embodiment, the pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition 2 and the fuse head 1 may be separately ignited. It is preferable that the fuse head 1 bursts before the composition 2 has begun to generate significant volumes of smoke. For example, one may program the fuse head 1 to detonate two seconds before the composition is ignited:
A similar sachet (not shown) .may be used in conjunction with an otherwise conventional fogging security apparatus. These apparatus fill a room or region with an opaque cloud of white smoke or fog, to obscure vision and impede or halt the progress of a crime such as a theft or a brcak-in. The fog is typical a cloud of glycol vapour.
As above, a fuse head 1 is detonated to disperse the forensic particulate material 3. The forensic particles 3 are then entrained into the flow of smoke or fog being projected out of the fogging device.
For existing fogging devices, it is possible for a perpetrator causing triggering of the device to slip away under cover of the fog. The theft or break-in is thwarted, but the perpetrator may escape, With the system described above, the fog contains numerous forensic particles 3 which will be deposited on the person and/or clothing of the perpetrator. If a forensic particle 3 can be found on a suspect's person or possessions and tracked back to the particular batch discharged by the fogging device, the presence of the suspect can be demonstrated.

Claims

A device to disperse forensic particulate material as herein defined, comprising container means (4) holding a charge of said forensic particulate material (3) characterised in that said device comprises pyrotechnic detonator means (1) located within the container means (4) and adapted to initiate dispersal of the forensic particulate material (3).
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that activation of the detonator means (1) opens exit means (5) of the container means (4).
A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the container means (4) is provided with at least one zone (5) of increased frangibility breachable by the detonator means (1).
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the container means (4) further comprises a pyrotechnic composition (2), ignitable to generate smoke (7), optionally a smoke-dye composition to generate dye-containing smoke.
A device as claimed in claim 4 characterised in that it comprises common ignition means for the detonator means (1) and the pyrotechnic composition (2).
Security apparatus characterised in that it comprises a device to disperse forensic particulate material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
Security apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that it is adapted to project smoke, vapour or the like having said forensic particulate material (3) entrained therein.
Security apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the detonator means (1) of the dispersal device is adapted to be activated prior to generation of said smoke, vapour or the like.
Security apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that it comprises means to generate a substantially opaque fog of droplets, such as glycol droplets.
Security apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that it comprises a pyrotechnic smoke composition, ignitable to generate smoke.
Security apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that said composition comprises a pyrotechnic smoke-dye composition, ignitable to generate smoke-dye cloud means adapted to stain surfaces contacted thereby.