AU2019200299A1 - Applicator for animal identification tags - Google Patents

Abstract

Applicator for Animal Identification Tags An applicator for animal identification tags, the applicator having a rotatable magazine having a plurality of tag compartments. Each tag compartment is configured to hold an individual animal identification tag having male and female engagement portions. The applicator further includes a pair of jaws arranged to receive an animal identification tag dispensed from the rotatable magazine, the jaws being operable to affix the animal identification tag to an animal's ear. The rotatable magazine is rotatable relative to the jaws, such that animal identification tags in the compartments of the rotatable magazine can be sequentially dispensed into the jaws. A dispensing mechanism is provided to dispense an animal identification tag from the rotatable tag magazine into the jaws. [Fig. 1] 1g Fig. 1

Description

APPLICATOR FOR ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION TAGS

This application claims priority from United Kingdom patent application 1801053.8, filed 23 January 2018, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an applicator for animal identification tags.

Background of the invention

It is well known in the field of animal identification to provide an identification tag, typically attached to the animal’s ear. Such tags may comprise two parts (such as a male and female part) which interlock with one part passing through the animal’s ear.

Alternatively a tag may be formed with a flexible connection between the two interlocking parts, i.e. as a single unit.

In order to attach tags to an animal, an applicator is used which typically drives a spiked male part of the tag through the animal’s ear to engage with a female part of the tag on the other side to securely affix the tag to the animal.

Many applicators used to apply tags to animals only accept one tag and must be re-loaded after each tag is applied to the animal. This is time consuming and can be intricate or awkward to perform and may result in loss of tags if they are dropped while the user is trying to load a new tag into the applicator.

Some applicators are known which feed strips of interconnected tags into the applicator and incorporate a reloading mechanism to feed tags seguentially to the applicator jaws to be applied to an animal. Such applicators typically include a cutting device to sever the front tag from the strip of tags before it is applied to an animal. Such applicators have had some success but are limited by the strips of tags that are supplied for application. The user has no choice about the tag seguence and, if a different type of tag is desired, the whole strip must be changed. These applicators are also mechanically guite complex because a severing device must be provided and timed to cut the front tag from a strip of tags before application to an animal.

Summary of the invention

In general terms, the invention provides an applicator for animal identification tags, the applicator having a pair of jaws operable to attach a tag to an animal’s ear, and a

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 rotatable tag magazine comprising a plurality of tag compartments in which individual animal identification tags can be loaded. The rotatable tag magazine is rotatable relative to the jaws, such that tags can be sequentially dispensed from the tag compartments to the jaws, where they can be applied to an animal ear. The rotatable tag magazine can be easily and quickly loaded with animal identification tags, making it convenient to use. As individual tags are placed into the tag compartments, the sequence of tags applied by the applicator may be easily controlled, by loading the desired tags into the appropriate tag compartments. Furthermore, the reload time of the applicator of the invention may be reduced compared to applicators which use strips of interconnected tags, as it is not necessary to open up the applicator and insert a new strip once the strip has been emptied. This is because a tag may be inserted into an empty tag compartment while the rotatable tag magazine is still connected to the tag applicator. Thus, the rotatable tag magazine can be reloaded while the applicator is in use, reducing downtime due to reloads. Another advantage of the applicator of the invention is that it does not require any cutting device to separate the tags from one another, as it does not use a strip of interconnected tags.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention provides an applicator for animal identification tags, the applicator having: a rotatable tag magazine having a plurality of tag compartments, each tag compartment being configured to hold an individual animal identification tag comprising male and female engagement portions; a pair of jaws arranged to receive an animal identification tag dispensed from the rotatable tag magazine, the jaws being operable to affix the animal identification tag to an animal’s ear by engaging the male and female portions of the animal identification tag through an ear of an animal placed between the jaws; wherein the rotatable tag magazine is rotatable relative to the jaws such that each of the tag compartments is sequentially alignable with a tag receiving portion of the jaws; and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing an animal identification tag from the rotatable tag magazine into the tag receiving portion of the jaws, wherein the dispensing mechanism is operable to dispense an animal identification tag from a tag compartment that is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws.

The rotatable tag magazine is a rotatable magazine in which the tags are held and from which they are dispensed into the jaws.

The rotatable tag magazine may have a cylindrical shape.

The rotatable tag magazine may be a rotary drum.

The axis of rotation of the rotatable tag magazine relative to the jaws may be fixed 35 relative to one of the jaws, with the rotatable tag magazine for example being held on a body portion of the applicator, such as a handle connected to one of the jaws.

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Each tag compartment may include an opening through which the tag can be dispensed. The opening through which the tag is dispensed may also be used for loading the tag into the tag compartment.

The rotatable tag magazine may be arranged perpendicularly to an axis of a handle connected to one of the jaws.

The tag compartments may be arranged in the rotatable tag magazine such that they lie on a circle which is centred on the rotatable tag magazine’s axis of rotation relative to the jaws. Thus, by rotating the rotatable tag magazine relative to the jaws, each tag compartment can, in turn, be brought into alignment with the tag receiving portion of the jaws. The tag compartments may be evenly spaced along the circle, such that rotation of the rotatable tag magazine by a predetermined angle brings the next tag compartment into alignment with the tag receiving portion of the jaws. For example, if the rotatable tag magazine comprises 20 tag compartments, there may be an angular separation of 18 degrees between adjacent tag compartments. In this case, the rotatable tag magazine must be rotated by 18 degrees relative to the jaws in order to go from a position where a first tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws, to a position where a second tag compartment, adjacent to the first, is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws.

Herein, a tag compartment of the rotatable tag magazine is said to be “aligned” with the tag receiving portion of the jaws if the dispensing mechanism can dispense a tag from the tag compartment into the tag receiving portion of the jaws.

The pair of jaws may define a tag affixing gap between them into which an ear of an animal can be inserted.

The jaws may be movable relative to one another in order to open and close the tag affixing gap. In some examples, the jaws may be pivotable relative to one another in order to open and close the tag affixing gap. Any suitable mechanism may be provided for moving the jaws relative to one another. For example, each jaw may be attached to a respective handle, such that when the handles are squeezed together, the tag affixing gap is closed. In another example, a trigger may be provided which causes one of the jaws to move relative to the other one. When the jaws are operated by a user, a tag which is situated in the gap is connected across the gap, by causing the male engagement portion of the tag to be driven across the gap to engage with the female engagement portion of the tag. When an animal’s ear is inserted into the tag affixing gap, such operation of the jaws causes the tag to be affixed to the animal’s ear, e.g. by driving a spiked male portion of the tag through the ear and engaging it with a female portion on the other side of the ear.

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The jaws may be shaped such that the tag is held in position in the tag affixing gap whilst it is being affixed to an animal’s ear.

The jaws may be biased towards an open configuration, i.e. a configuration where the gap between the jaws is open so that an animal’s ear may be inserted between the jaws.

The tag receiving portion of the jaws is a portion of the jaws which is arranged to receive a tag dispensed from the rotatable tag magazine. For example, the tag receiving portion may be a slot in one of the jaws which is shaped to receive the tag. In some examples, the tag receiving portion may be located directly in the tag affixing gap between 10 the jaws. In other examples, the tag receiving portion may form a passageway between the rotatable tag magazine and the tag affixing gap formed between the jaws. In such an example, the dispensing mechanism may further serve to convey the tag along the tag receiving portion until it reaches the tag affixing gap where it can be affixed to an animal’s ear.

An opening may be provided in the jaws through which the tag can be conveyed, in order for it to be dispensed into the tag affixing gap between the jaws.

The dispensing mechanism serves to dispense a tag from a tag compartment in the rotatable tag magazine into the tag receiving portion of the jaws. The dispensing mechanism may be manually operable, such that when a tag compartment is aligned with 20 the receiving portion of the jaws, a user can operate the dispensing mechanism to dispense the tag from the tag compartment into the tag receiving portion of the jaws, so that the tag can be applied to an animal’s ear. In other examples, the dispensing mechanism may be configured to automatically dispense the tag from a compartment when the compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion.

In order to affix a tag to an animal’s ear using the applicator of the invention, a user may first load individual animal identification tags into the tag compartments of the rotatable tag magazine. Then a tag compartment of the rotatable tag magazine may be aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws and the tag contained therein may be dispensed into the jaws by operating the dispensing mechanism. The jaws may then be operated to affix the tag to an animal’s ear. The rotatable tag magazine may then be rotated by a predetermined angle, so that a tag from another compartment can be dispensed and affixed to an animal’s ear. Thus, the applicator of the invention provides a convenient mechanism for rapidly affixing a series of tags to animals’ ears.

In some embodiments, the applicator may further include an actuation mechanism, 35 the actuation mechanism being configured to, when the jaws are operated to affix an animal identification tag to an animal’s ear, cause the rotatable tag magazine to rotate from a first position in which a first tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 portion of the jaws to a second position in which a second tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws. Thus, when the jaws are operated to affix a tag (e.g. by closing the tag affixing gap between the jaws), the rotatable tag magazine is automatically caused to rotate so that a new tag can be dispensed into the tag receiving portion of the jaws. This avoids having to manually rotate the drum in order to dispense a new tag, and may serve to increase the rate at which tags can be affixed to animals’ ears.

The actuation mechanism may be any suitable mechanism for translating the relative movement of the jaws into a rotational movement of the rotatable tag magazine.

The first and second tag compartments may be adjacent to one another. In this manner, by repeatedly operating the jaws, the actuation mechanism may cause each of the tag compartments in turn to be aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws.

The actuation mechanism may cause the rotatable tag magazine to rotate by a predetermined angle which corresponds to the angular separation of adjacent tag compartments.

The actuation mechanism may be configured to allow rotation of the rotatable tag magazine relative to the jaws in a first direction, and to prevent rotation of the rotatable tag magazine relative to the jaws in a second, opposite direction. This may serve to ensure that the correct sequence of tags is dispensed from the rotatable tag magazine.

In some embodiments, the rotatable tag magazine includes a plurality of teeth disposed around a circumference of the rotatable tag magazine; the actuation mechanism includes a cam which is pivotable relative to the jaws and engageable with the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine; and operation of the jaws causes the cam to pivot relative to the jaws and engage one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine such that the rotatable tag magazine rotates from the first position to the second position.

The cam may be mounted on a pivot which is fixed relative to one of the jaws, e.g.

the pivot may be mounted on a handle connected to one of the jaws. When the jaws are operated to affix a tag (e.g. by closing the tag affixing gap between the jaws), the cam is caused to pivot relative to the jaws so that it engages one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine and causes it to rotate relative to the jaws. In other words, as the cam pivots, it presses against one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine to cause it to rotate.

In some examples, the rotatable tag magazine teeth and cam may act as a ratchet, such that the rotatable tag magazine is only rotatable in one direction. This enables the rotation of the rotatable tag magazine to be accurately controlled, so that tags can be reliably dispensed in a desired order from the rotatable tag magazine into the jaws.

The cam may be pivotable between an operating position and a disengaged position. When the cam is in the operating position, operation of the jaws causes the cam to pivot and engage one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine. When the cam is in

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 the disengaged position, the cam is pivoted relative to the jaws such that it is disengaged from the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine. In other words, in the disengaged position, the tooth and cam are no longer in contact, following the cam having pressed against the tooth to cause the rotatable tag magazine to rotate. Herein, to engage a tooth of the rotatable tag magazine means to apply a torque to the tooth, in order to cause the rotatable tag magazine to rotate relative to the jaws.

The cam may be biased towards the operating position. Thus, the cam may automatically return to the operating position when the applicator is not in use.

The cam may be configured such that it does not engage the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine when it returns from the disengaged position to the operating position, i.e. the cam does not cause the rotatable tag magazine to rotate when it returns to the operating position.

In some embodiments, the cam includes a pawl which is pivotable relative to a cam body of the cam such that the pawl is configured to engage one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine when the cam pivots from the operating position to the disengaged position; and the pawl is configured to not engage any of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine when the cam pivots from the disengaged position to the operating position. Thus, the pawl may only apply a torque to one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine when the cam pivots from the operating position to the disengaged position.

In some embodiments, the actuation mechanism includes a protrusion and the cam includes an engagement surface, such that operation of the jaws causes the protrusion to push against the cam’s engagement surface to cause the cam to pivot relative to the jaws. This provides a mechanism for translating relative motion of the jaws into a pivoting motion of the cam. For example, the protrusion may be a ramp on one of the handles of the applicator. The engagement surface of the cam may be a surface that is curved such that when the protrusion pushes against it, the cam is made to pivot relative to the jaws.

In some embodiments, the rotatable tag magazine includes a plurality of engagement portions, each engagement portion being associated with one of the tag compartments; wherein the applicator further includes a locating element; and wherein the locating element is engageable with the engagement portions such that, when a tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws, the locating element is engaged with the engagement portion associated with that tag compartment. When the locating element is engaged with an engagement portion of the rotatable tag magazine, the locating element may resist rotational motion of the drum. This serves to accurately align a tag compartment with the receiving portion of the jaws, as the drum may stop rotating when the locating element engages the corresponding engagement portion. This

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 also serves to maintain alignment between the tag compartment and the receiving portion of the jaws, and to prevent unwanted rotation of the rotatable tag magazine. Thus, if the rotatable tag magazine is caused to rotate by the actuation mechanism, the rotatable tag magazine may stop rotating when a tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion, due to engagement between the locating element and the engagement portion associated with that tag compartment.

The locating element may resist rotational motion of the drum when a torque below a threshold torque is applied to the rotatable tag magazine. However, the locating element’s resistance to rotational motion may be overcome by applying a torque to the rotatable tag magazine which is greater than the threshold torque. For example, in embodiments where the actuator includes an actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism may be configured to apply a torque greater than the threshold torque to the rotatable tag magazine when the jaws are operated. The locating element and engagement portions may be features having complementary shapes. In some examples, the locating element may be a ball catch, and the engagement portions may be detents in a surface of the rotatable tag magazine.

In some embodiments, the rotatable tag magazine is removably mounted on a body portion of the applicator. Thus, the rotatable tag magazine may be removed from the applicator so that it can be easily reloaded and/or replaced. In some cases, a user may carry multiple rotatable tag magazines which are pre-loaded with animal identification tags. Then, when the rotatable tag magazine in the applicator is empty, it can quickly be replaced by a full rotatable tag magazine. The body portion of the applicator may be a portion of the applicator which is connected to one of the jaws. For example, the rotatable tag magazine may be mounted on a handle which is connected to one of the jaws. In further embodiments, the rotatable tag magazine is removably mounted on the body portion via a clamp. The clamp enables the rotatable tag magazine to be easily mounted and removed from the applicator without having to use any tools.

In cases where the applicator includes a locating element, the locating element may be disposed on the clamp.

In some embodiments, the dispensing mechanism comprises a pusher, and each tag compartment comprises an aperture such that, when a tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws, the pusher is extendable through the aperture of that tag compartment to push an animal identification tag from that tag compartment into the tag receiving portion of the jaws. In other words, the pusher can pass through the aperture of a tag compartment that is aligned with the tag receiving portion, and push the tag out of the compartment and into the tag receiving portion. Thus, a tag compartment

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 may have an aperture on one side through which the pusher can extend, and an opening on another side, through which the tag can be pushed.

The aperture may be shaped to allow the pusher to extend through it, but to prevent a tag from passing through it, so that a tag cannot fall out of the compartment via 5 the aperture. Once a tag has been dispensed into the receiving portion of the jaws, the pusher may pulled back through the aperture so that it no longer extends into the tag compartment. This then enables the rotatable tag magazine to be rotated so that another tag can be dispensed.

The pusher may include any suitable mechanism for extending through the aperture and pushing the tag.

The pusher may include an engagement portion (e.g. a pad) which is arranged to engage the tag in order to push it out of the compartment.

In some embodiments, the dispensing mechanism further includes a shaft that is connected to the pusher, wherein the shaft is movable along its length relative to the jaws, 15 and wherein the pusher is extendable through the aperture of the tag compartment by moving the shaft towards the jaws. The shaft may therefore be capable of longitudinal motion towards and away from the jaws. Thus, the tag may be dispensed from the tag compartment via a single longitudinal motion of the shaft towards the jaws. To dispense a tag into the jaws, a user may press the shaft towards the jaws, so that the pusher extends 20 through the aperture and pushes the tag into the jaws. The shaft may be biased towards a withdrawn position, in which the pusher does not extend through an aperture of a tag compartment, so that the pusher does not inhibit rotation of the rotatable tag magazine when not in use. In order to dispense a tag, the user must then apply a force to the shaft to overcome the bias.

In some embodiments, the applicator further comprises a handle attached to one of the jaws, and the shaft is movable along a channel in the handle. Providing the shaft in a channel in a handle which is attached to one of the jaws may ensure that the direction of motion of the shaft relative to that jaw is fixed.

In some embodiments, the tag receiving portion of the jaws is located on the jaw to 30 which the handle is attached. This may ensure accurate alignment of the shaft and the tag receiving portion, so that tags can reliably be dispensed into the jaws. Furthermore, by integrating the shaft of the dispensing mechanism into the handle, the shaft is conveniently located so that it can easily be reached and actuated by a user.

In some embodiments, the shaft is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws. The shaft is said to be aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws if the tag receiving portion lies on a line that corresponds to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. Thus, when a tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws, the tag

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 compartment is also aligned with the shaft of the dispensing mechanism. This may serve to simplify construction of the dispensing mechanism, and the accuracy with which a tag is dispensed.

In some embodiments, the jaws include a tag backstop configured to hold an animal identification tag in a tag affixing gap between the jaws when the jaws are being operated to affix the animal identification tag to an animal’s ear. The tag backstop may permit a tag that is dispensed from the rotatable tag magazine to enter the tag affixing gap, but serves to prevent the tag from being pushed back out of the gap when the jaws are operated (e.g. when the gap between them is closed). Thus, the tag backstop acts as 10 a one-way barrier between the rotatable tag magazine and the tag affixing gap. This may ensure that a tag that has been dispensed from the rotatable tag magazine can be reliably affixed to an animal’s ear. The tag backstop may take the form of a tab which is mounted on one of the jaws and which is pivotable between an open position and a blocking position, with the tab being biased towards the blocking position. When a tag is dispensed 15 into the jaws, the tag presses against the tab, causing it to pivot to the open position so that the tag can pass into the tag affixing gap. Once the tag is in the tag affixing gap, the tab returns to the closed position, and prevents the tag from sliding out from the tag affixing gap.

Herein, the terms “animal identification tag” and “tag” are used interchangeably.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an applicator for animal identification tags according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of an applicator for animal identification tags according to the embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a part cutaway side view of the applicator for animal identification tags according to the embodiment, where parts of the internal structure of the applicator are revealed;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the applicator for animal identification tags according to the embodiment along the A-A line shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of an actuation mechanism which is part of the applicator for animal identification tags according to the embodiment;

Fig. 6a is a front view of a rotary drum which is part of the applicator for animal identification tags according to the embodiment;

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Fig. 6b is a perspective view of the rotary drum of Fig. 6a, showing a front side of the rotary drum;

Fig. 6c is another perspective view of the rotary drum of Figs. 6a and 6b, showing a back side of the rotary drum;

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the applicator for animal identification tags according to the embodiment;

Figs. 8a, 8b and 8c show front, side and bottom views of an animal identification tag before being loaded into an animal tag applicator;

Figs. 9a, 9b and 9c show front, side and top views of an animal identification tag after it has been loaded into a tag compartment of a rotary drum; and

Figs. 10a, 10b and 10c show front, side and top views of an animal identification tag after it has been pushed from a tag compartment of a rotary drum into a tag receiving portion of jaws of an animal tag applicator.

Detailed description; further features and advantages

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1-7.

The applicator according the embodiment of the invention includes a pair of jaws operable to affix an animal identification tag to an animal’s ear, and a rotary drum having a plurality 20 of tag compartments, each of which is configured to hold an individual animal identification tag. The rotary drum is rotatable relative to the jaws, such that tags can be sequentially dispensed from the tag compartments into the jaws, where they can be affixed to an animal’s ear.

As shown in Figs. 1-3, the applicator 100 according to the embodiment of the invention includes a lower jaw 102 and an upper jaw 104 which are pivotable relative to one another to open and close a tag affixing gap 106 formed between the jaws. The jaws are connected together via a pivot 108, which is shown in Fig. 7. The lower jaw 102 is attached to a first handle 110, and the upper jaw 104 is attached to a second handle 112. Thus, by squeezing the first and second handles together, the jaws may be brought together to close the tag affixing gap 106 between the jaws. A main spring 114 (see Fig.

7) is provided between the first and second handles to bias them apart from one another, in order to bias the jaws towards the open configuration shown in Figs. 1-3. The jaws are operable to clamp together so as to affix an animal identification tag located in the tag affixing gap 106 to an animal’s ear, as described in more detail below.

Of course, the main spring 114 may be omitted, in which case the first and second handles can be manually moved apart from each other.

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Mounted on the first handle 110 is a rotary drum 116, which is shown in greater detail in Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c. The rotary drum 116 has a cylindrical shape, and includes an outer wall 118 and an inner wall 120 which is arranged concentrically with the outer wall

118. The rotary drum 116 also includes a back wall 121, which connects the outer wall

118 to the inner wall 120. Between the outer wall 118 and the inner wall 120 are disposed a plurality of tag compartments 122, each of which is configured to hold an individual animal identification tag. Each tag compartment 122 is defined by a first pair of sidewalls 124a disposed on the outer wall 118, a second pair of sidewalls 124b disposed on the outer wall 120, and the back wall 121 of the rotary drum 116. The two pairs of sidewalls

124a, 124b form a slot into which an animal identification tag can be inserted. Each tag compartment 122 is open at the front (as can be seen in Fig. 6), so that a tag can be inserted into, and dispensed from, the tag compartment. The “front” of a tag compartment 122 is the side of the tag compartment which faces towards the jaws 102, 104.

Other types of sidewalls or divisions may also be used to define the tag compartments. In the example shown, the rotary drum includes twenty regularly spaced tag compartments 122, however rotary drums having other numbers of tag compartments may also be used. Different shapes and sizes of tag compartments may be used, depending on the type of tag which is to be dispensed.

Of course, the rotary drum 116 may instead be mounted on the second handle

112, or elsewhere on the applicator.

Each tag compartment is configured to receive and hold an individual animal identification tag 126. Each tag 126 may comprise a female engagement portion 128 and a male engagement portion 130 connected by a resilient connection portion 132. The male engagement portion 130 is engageable with the female engagement portion 128, such that when the male engagement portion 130 is engaged with the female engagement portion 128 through an animal’s ear, the tag 126 is securely affixed to the animal’s ear. A plurality of animal identification tags 126 are illustrated in Fig. 7. Fig. 1 shows an example where all of the tag compartments 122 of the rotary drum 116 are loaded with individual tags 126. In order to fit a tag 126 into a tag compartment 122, the connection portion 132 of the tag 126 is bent so that the male engagement portion 130 lies adjacent the female engagement portion 128. The connection portion 132 is biased outwards (by the resilience of the connection portion) against the outer and inner walls 118, 120 of the rotary drum 116, such that the tag 126 is held in the tag compartment 122 by the friction with the outer and inner walls 118, 120.

More detailed views of an animal identification tag 126 are shown in Figs. 8a-8c,

9a-9c and 10a-10c. Figs. 8a, 8b and 8c show front, side and bottom views of an animal identification tag 126 after it has been manufactured (e.g. using a moulding process), i.e.

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 before it is inserted into a tag compartment 122. As can be seen, the female engagement portion 128 and the male engagement portion 130 are connected via the connection portion 132, which is a substantially flat strip of material.

Figs. 9a, 9b and 9c show front, side and top views of the animal identification tag

126 once it has been loaded into a tag compartment 122 (for illustrative purposes, the tag compartment is not shown in these figures). In this configuration, the connection portion 132 is bent so that the female engagement portion 128 and the male engagement portion 130 lie adjacent to one another. The resilience of the connection portion 132 acts to restore the animal identification tag 126 to the configuration shown in Figs. 8a-8b. This causes the male and female engagement portions to press outwards against the walls of the tag compartment 122, so the tag 126 is held in place in the tag compartment due to friction between the male and female engagement portions and the walls of the tag compartment 122.

Figs. 10a, 10b and 10c show front, side and top views of the animal identification 15 tag 126 after it has been pushed into the tag receiving portion 142 of the jaws (for illustrative purposes, the jaws are not shown in these figures). When the animal identification tag 126 is pushed out of the tag compartment, the animal identification tag 126 springs open due to the resilience of the connection portion 132. In this configuration, there is a gap between the female engagement portion 128 and the male engagement 20 portion 130. This enables an animal’s ear to be inserted between the male and female engagement portions, so that the animal identification tag can be affixed to the animal’s ear by operating the jaws.

The rotary drum 116 is mounted on the first handle 110 such that it is rotatable relative to the jaws 102, 104. This is achieved using a clamp 134 which is mounted on the 25 first handle 110, and which is arranged to engage a surface of the inner wall 120 of the rotary drum 116. The outer wall 118 of the rotary drum 116 is supported on a curved surface 136 of the first handle 110 (shown in Fig. 7), the curvature of the curved surface 136 being complimentary to the curvature of the outer wall 118 of the rotary drum 116. Thus, the rotary drum 116 is effectively held between the clamp 134 and the curved surface 136. The clamp 134 and curved surface 136 are arranged to maintain a longitudinal position of the rotary drum relative to the lower jaw 102, whilst allowing it to be rotated about its central axis. The clamp 134 is pivotably mounted on the first handle 110, such that it is pivotable between an open position and a closed. In the configurations shown in Figs. 1-3, the clamp 134 is in the closed position, i.e. it engages the inner wall

120 of the rotary drum 116 such that the rotary drum 116 is held between the clamp 134 and the curved surface 136 of the first handle 110. The clamp 134 can be pivoted towards the open position, in order to disengage the clamp 134 from the inner wall 120 of rotary

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 drum 116. Thus, in the open position, the rotary drum 116 can be removed from the first handle 110. This may facilitate loading of the rotary drum 116 with tags 126, or replacing and/or repairing the rotary drum 116. It also enables an empty rotary drum to be quickly swapped with a fully loaded rotary drum, in order to reduce downtime due to reloading.

The clamp 134 is biased towards the closed position using a spring 138 which is held in the first handle 110 by means of a spring cup 140.

However, in other examples, the clamp 134 need not be pivotable relative to the first handle 110. For example, the clamp may include a resilient portion which is biased towards a position where the clamp 134 engages the rotary drum 116, and which is 10 bendable in order to release the rotary drum from the handle.

Of course, other alternative arrangements may also be used to mount the rotary drum 116 on the first handle 110 such that it is rotatable relative to the jaws 102, 104.The axis of rotation of the rotary drum 116 relative to the jaws is depicted by cross 135 in Fig. 6a. As can be seen, the tag compartments 122 lie on a circle that is centred on the rotary 15 drum’s axis of rotation 135 relative to the jaws. Thus, by rotating the rotary drum 116 relative to the jaws, each of the tag compartments 122 can in turn be aligned with a tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102. The tag compartments 122 are evenly spaced, such that the rotary drum 116 may be rotated by an angle of 18 degrees (as there are 20 tag compartments) to go from a position where a first tag compartment is aligned with the 20 tag receiving portion 142, to a position where a second tag compartment, adjacent to the first, is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142. The angular separation between adjacent tag compartments may depend on the number of tag compartments in the rotary drum.

By rotating the rotary drum about its central axis, each of the tag compartments

122 can in turn be aligned with the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102, so that a tag 126 can be dispensed from that tag compartment 122 into the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102. The tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102 is shaped to receive a tag 126, and hold the tag in place while it is being affixed to an animal’s ear. The shape of the tag receiving portion 142 may have a shape that is complementary to the shape of the tag, in order to prevent the tag 126 from moving around in the jaws when it is being affixed to an animal’s ear. The tag receiving portion 142 is located directly in the tag affixing gap 106 formed between the jaws 102, 104, such that when a tag is located in the tag receiving portion 142, the jaws can be operated to affix the tag to an animal’s ear.

When a tag compartment 122 is aligned with the lower jaw 102, there is a direct passageway between that tag compartment 122 and the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102, such that a tag 126 can be dispensed from that tag compartment into the tag receiving portion 142. The lower jaw 102 may include an opening 144 and the upper

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 jaw 104 may include an opening 146, such that a tag 126 dispensed from the rotary drum 116 can pass through openings 144 and 146 in order to reach the tag receiving portion of the lower jaw 102.

The applicator 100 includes a dispensing mechanism 147 which serves to dispense a tag 126 from a tag compartment 122 that is aligned with the lower jaw 102 into the tag receiving portion of the lower jaw 102. The dispensing mechanism 147 includes a pusher 148 which is configured to engage a tag 126 in order to push it out from its tag compartment 122, and an elongate shaft 150 connected to the pusher 148. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the shaft 150 includes a first portion 150a which is integrally formed with the pusher 148, and a second portion 150b which is connected to the first portion 150a (e.g. by means of a threaded tip of second portion 150b shown in Fig. 7).

The shaft 150 is movable along its length through a channel 152 formed in the first handle 110. The channel 152 is oriented towards the jaws 102, 104, such that the shaft 150 can be moved along the channel 152 towards and away from the jaws 102, 104. In use, the pusher 148 is located on the side of the channel 152 closest to the jaws 102, 104. The pusher 148 may be moved towards and away from the jaws 102, 104 by moving the shaft backwards and forwards along the channel 152. The pusher 148 is shaped so that it does not fit through the channel 152, i.e. it is larger than a cross-section of the channel. This serves to limit the motion of the shaft 150 away from the jaws 102, 104. An end cap 154 is provided on the end of the shaft 150 opposite the end with the pusher 148, in order to limit the motion of the shaft towards the jaws 102, 104. Thus, motion of the shaft along the channel 152 is limited by the pusher 148 at one end and by the end cap 154 at the other end. In the example shown, the shaft 150 is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw, i.e. the tag receiving portion 142 is located on a line that passes through a longitudinal axis of the shaft 150.

The back wall 121 of the rotary drum 116 includes a plurality of apertures 156 formed therein, with each aperture 156 corresponding to a respective tag compartment 122. In other words, each tag compartment 122 has an aperture 156 formed in the back wall 121 of the rotary drum 116. Each aperture 156 is shaped so that the pusher 148 may 30 pass through it, however it does not allow a tag 126 to pass through it. Thus, when a tag compartment 122 is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142, the end cap 154 can be pressed towards the jaws 102, 104 to cause the pusher 148 to pass through the aperture 156 of that tag compartment 122, and push a tag 126 from that tag compartment 122 into the tag receiving portion of the lower jaw 102, where the tag 126 can be affixed to an animal’s ear. The length of the shaft 150 must be sufficient to enable the tag to be pushed all the way from the tag compartment 122 to the tag receiving portion 142.

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Following the dispensing of the tag 126 into the tag receiving portion 142, the pusher 148 may be moved back out of the tag compartment 122 through the aperture

156, so that the dispensing mechanism 147 does not prevent the rotary drum from rotating. Then, the rotary drum 116 can be rotated so that another tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion, so that a new tag can be dispensed.

In the embodiment shown, the dispensing mechanism 147 further includes a spring 157 which is provided on the shaft 150, between an end of the first handle 110 and the end cap 154. The spring 157 presses against the end cap 154, in order to bias the dispensing mechanism 147 towards a withdrawn position where the pusher 148 is withdrawn from the rotary drum 116. Thus, if the end cap 154 is released following the dispensing of a tag into the jaws, the dispensing mechanism 147 will automatically return to the withdrawn position, so that the rotary drum 116 can be rotated.

Of course, alternatively the spring 157 may be omitted, in which case it will be necessary to manually move the dispensing mechanism 147 towards the withdrawn 15 position where the pusher 148 is withdrawn from the rotary drum 116. Alternatively, an alternative mechanism may be provided for automatically causing the dispensing mechanism 147 to move towards the withdrawn position.

Of course, an alternative dispensing mechanism may be provided for dispensing the tags from the rotary drum 116.

An advantage of the applicator according to this embodiment is that squeezing the first and second handles 110, 112 together to operate the jaws causes the rotary drum 116 to automatically rotate by a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle corresponds to the angular spacing between adjacent tag compartments 122, such that when the rotary drum automatically rotates, it goes from a state where a first tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142, to a state where a second tag compartment, adjacent the first tag compartment, is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142. Thus, by repeatedly operating the jaws (by squeezing the handles together), each tag compartment is in turn aligned with the tag receiving portion 142 of the jaws. In other words, the act of affixing a tag to an animal’s ear by operating the jaws causes the rotary drum 116 to be rotated such that, as soon as the tag has been affixed, another tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws so that a new tag can be dispensed.

The automatic rotation of the rotary drum 116 is achieved using an actuation mechanism 158 which translates relative motion between the handles 110, 112 (and 35 therefore between the jaws 102, 104) into a rotational motion of the rotary drum 116. The actuation mechanism 158 is shown in Fig. 4 which shows a cross-sectional view of the actuator 100 along the A-A line depicted in Fig. 3. An exploded view of the actuation

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 mechanism 158 is shown in Fig. 5. The actuation mechanism 158 is located in a body portion of the first handle 110, directly below where the rotary drum 116 is mounted. The rotary drum 116 includes a plurality of teeth 160 disposed along an outer circumference of the outer wall 118. In the example shown, the teeth 160 extend from the backwall 121, however they may be located anywhere on the outer wall 118.

The actuation mechanism 158 is configured to engage the teeth 160 of the rotary drum 116 to cause the rotary drum 116 to rotate when the handles 110, 112 are squeezed together. The actuation mechanism 158 includes a cam 162 which is mounted on a pivot 164, the pivot 164 being fixed relative to the first handle 110 such that the cam 162 is pivotable relative to the first handle 110. A pawl 166 is pivotally mounted on the cam 162 via a pivot 168, such that the pawl is pivotable relative to the cam 162. In the embodiment shown, the cam 162 includes two cam body pieces 162a, 162b, and the pawl 166 is held between the two cam body pieces 162a, 162b. The two cam body pieces 162a, 162b are secured together using a screw 170, however in other embodiments other suitable fastening means may also be used.

The cam body piece 162b includes a stop block 172 arranged to engage a stopping surface 174 of the pawl 166 when the pawl 166 pivots in a first direction (e.g. clockwise in the configuration shown in Fig. 3), such that the stop block 172 prevents the pawl 166 from pivoting further in that direction. A pawl spring 176, which is connected to a 20 hook on the pawl 166 at one end and to the cam 162 at another end, serves to bias the pawl 166 towards a rest position where the stopping surface 174 of the pawl rests against the stop block 172. The pawl 166 protrudes from the cam 162, such that it is engageable with the teeth 160 of the rotary drum 116.

The cam 162 includes a curved surface 178 which is arranged to engage a ramp 25 180 located on the second handle 112 when the second handle 112 is moved towards the first handle 110. The ramp 180 protrudes upwards from the second handle 112 towards the cam 162. Additionally, the ramp 180 is offset relative to the cam’s pivot 164, i.e. the ramp 180 is not aligned with the pivot 164 along the direction of relative motion between the handles 110, 112. In use, when the handles 110, 112 are moved together, the ramp 30 180 moves towards the cam 162 and pushes against the curved surface 178 of the cam

162. Because of the offset between the pivot 164 and the ramp 180, when the ramp 180 pushes against the curved surface 178 of the cam 162, the ramp 180 causes the cam 162 to pivot about the pivot 164. In the configuration shown in Fig. 4, the ramp 180 is in engagement with the curved surface 178 of the cam 162, such that the cam 162 is pivoted 35 in the anti-clockwise direction relative to the first handle 110.

Of course, the ramp 180 may instead be a protrusion or other suitably shaped surface.

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Each tooth 160 of the rotary drum 116 has a short edge 182 and a long edge 184. When the cam 162 pivots due to engagement with the ramp 180, the pawl 166 engages the short edge 182 of a tooth 160 and presses against it, causing the rotary drum 116 to rotate. In this configuration, the pawl 166 is firmly held in its rest position by the pawl spring 176 and the stop block 172. As the cam 162 pivots further, the pawl 166 eventually disengages with the tooth 160 and the rotary drum 116 stops rotating.

A further mechanism is provided to ensure that the drum stops rotating in the correct position, i.e. when a tag compartment 122 is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws 142. The rotary drum 166 includes a plurality of locating detents 186 formed in 10 a surface of its inner wall 120, such that each tag compartment 122 has a locating detent 186 associated with it. The clamp 134 includes a ball catch 188, which is configured to engage the locating detent 186 associated with a tag compartment when the tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142 of the jaws. Thus, when the rotary drum 116 rotates to a position where a tag compartment 122 is aligned with the tag 15 receiving portion 142, the ball catch 188 engages the locating detent associated with that tag compartment 122 and the rotary drum 116 stops rotating. When the ball catch 188 engages a locating detent 186, the ball catch 188 resists rotation of the rotary drum 116, so that the rotary drum 116 does not freely rotate. This ensures, for example, that the rotary drum 116 does not rotate while a tag 126 is being dispensed into the jaws 102, 104.

In order to rotate the rotary drum 116 when the ball catch 188 is engaged in a locating detent 186, it is necessary to apply a torque to the rotary drum 116 which is sufficient to overcome the ball catch’s resistance to rotation. For example, there may be a threshold torque below which the rotary drum 116 does not rotate and the ball catch 188 remains engaged with the locating detent 186. When a torque above the threshold torque is applied to the rotary drum 116, the ball catch 188 disengages from the locating detent 186 and the rotary drum 116 can rotate. Therefore, the torque applied by the pawl 166 to the rotary drum 116 when it presses against the short edge 182 of a tooth 160 must be sufficient to overcome the ball catch’s resistance to rotation in order to cause the rotary drum 116 to rotate. Of course, other mechanisms than the ball catch 188 and the locating detents 186 shown may be use to accurately control the rotation and positioning of the rotary drum 116.

The cam 162 is pivotable relative to the first handle 110 between an operating position and a disengaged position. In the operating position, the pawl 166 is located adjacent to the short edge 182 of a tooth 182, such that when the handles 110, 112 are 35 squeezed together the cam 162 will pivot and cause the pawl 166 to press against the short edge 182 of that tooth 160. In the disengaged position, the cam 162 is pivoted relative to the first handle 110 such that the pawl 166 is disengaged from the short edge

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182 of the tooth. The cam 162 is biased towards the operating position, such that when a user releases the handles 110, 112, the cam automatically returns to the operating position. As the cam 162 returns from the disengaged position to the operating position, the pawl 166 may come into contact with the long edge 184 of a tooth 160, causing the pawl 166 to pivot away from its rest position against the stop block 172. Once the pawl

166 has cleared the long edge 184 of the tooth 160, the pawl 166 returns to its rest position due to the restoring force of the pawl spring 176.

In the embodiment shown, the cam 162 is biased towards the operating position by means of a cam return spring 190. The cam return spring 190 is held on an arm 192 which is connected to the cam 162 via a pivot 194, which enables the arm 192 to pivot relative to the cam 162 when the cam 162 pivots about pivot 168. An end piece 196 is connected to the arm 192 by the cam return spring 190, wherein an end of the arm 192 is received inside the end piece 196 and is slidable within the end piece 196, The end piece 196 may be a sleeve. The end piece 196 is received in a cavity 198 formed in a side wall of the first handle 110. The cam return spring 190 is arranged such that when the cam

162 pivots towards the disengaged position, the cam return spring 190 is compressed between the end piece 196 and a stopping surface on the arm 192. As the cam 162 pivots, the arm 192 may itself pivot relative to the cam 162. Additionally, the end piece

196 may slide relative to the arm 192, due to the change in distance between the pivot

194 and the cavity 198 in the handle as the cam 162 pivots. Then, when the handles 110,

112 are moved apart (e.g. due to the main spring 114), the cam 162 returns to the operating position as the cam return spring 190 extends from its compressed state.

The arm 192 includes a lip 200 which is configured to rest against a side of the cam 162 when the cam is in the operating position. The lip 200 serves to prevent the cam 25 162 from pivoting beyond the operating position due to the restoring force of the cam return spring 190. Thus, when the cam 162 is in the operating position, it is held in place by the lip 200 under the restoring force of the cam return spring 190.

The actuation mechanism 158 and teeth 160 of the rotary drum 116 act as a ratchet-like system, as it enables controlled rotation of the rotary drum 116 in one direction 30 (e.g. clockwise in Fig. 4), whilst preventing rotation of the rotary drum 116 in the opposite direction. For example, in the configuration shown in Fig. 4, if one attempts to rotate the rotary drum 116 anti-clockwise, a short edge 182 of a tooth 160 will engage the pawl 166, forcing it towards its rest position where it rests against the stop block 172. This will in turn force the cam 162 to pivot to its operating position, where further pivoting of the cam 162 is prevented by the lip 200 on arm 192. Then, as both the pawl 166 and the cam 162 are prevented from pivoting any further (by the stop block 172 and the lip 200, respectively), the short edge 182 of the tooth 160 is blocked by the pawl 166 and the rotary drum cannot

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 rotate any further. Thus, by ensuring that the rotary drum 116 can only rotate in a single direction, it is possible to ensure that the animal identification tags 126 are applied in the correct order.

Of course, other ratchet-like systems for enabling controlled rotation of the rotary drum 116 in one direction (e.g. clockwise in Fig. 4), whilst preventing rotation of the rotary drum 116 in the opposite direction, may be provided instead.

As mentioned above, the jaws 102, 104 are operable to affix an animal identification tag 126 which has been dispensed from the rotary drum 116 into the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102. When a tag 126 is located in the tag 126 receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102, the tag 126 may be affixed to an animal’s ear by placing the ear in the tag affixing gap 106 between the jaws 102, 104, such that the male engagement portion 130 of the tag 126 is located on one side of the ear, and the female engagement portion 128 is located on the opposite side of the ear. Then, squeezing the handles 110, 112 together causes the tag affixing gap 106 to close over the ear. This causes the male engagement portion 130 of the tag 126 to be driven through the ear and to engage the female engagement portion 128, such that the tag 126 is securely affixed to the animal’s ear.

A problem of using a pair of jaws to affix a tag to an animal’s ear may be that when the jaws are closed, the tag is forced backwards away from the gap between the jaws, so 20 it may not properly be attached to the animal’s ear. This problem is overcome in the present embodiment by including a tag backstop 202 in the lower jaw 102. The tag backstop 202 is illustrated, for example, in Fig. 3 which shows a partial cutaway view of the applicator 100 that reveals parts of the internal structure of the applicator. The tag backstop 202 is comprised of an elongate tab with is pivotally mounted relative to the lower jaw 102. The tag backstop 202 is pivotable between a blocking position and an open position. A spring 204 is provided to bias the tag backstop towards the blocking position, however alternative biasing means may also be used. When the tag backstop 202 is in the blocking position, it protrudes above a surface of the lower jaw 102, and forms a barrier between the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102 and the rotary drum 116, such that a tag 126 held in the tag receiving portion 142 is prevented from sliding back towards the rotary drum 116 (e.g. through openings 144, 146 in the jaws).

The tag backstop 202 has a slanted surface such that, when the dispensing mechanism 147 pushes a tag 126 from the rotary drum 116 towards tag receiving portion 142, the tag 126 causes the tag backstop 202 to pivot to the open position. This enables 35 the tag 126 to pass over the tag backstop 202 so that it can enter the tag receiving portion

142. Once the tag 126 has passed over the tag backstop 202, the spring 204 causes the tag backstop 202 to return to the blocking position, in order to block the tag 126 in the tag

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 receiving portion 142. Thus, the tag backstop 202 effectively acts as a one-way barrier which enables a tag to be dispensed into the tag receiving portion, but prevents the tag from exiting the tag receiving portion. Other types of tag backstop may also be used. For example, in some embodiments, the tag backstop may be a tab formed of a resilient material, which is configured to bend to allow a tag to pass from the rotary drum to the tag receiving portion, but to prevent a tag from exiting the jaws in the opposite direction.

A brief description of how the applicator 100 is operated will now be given, which sets out the seguence of events that take place when the applicator 100 is operated.

First, each of the tag compartments 122 of the rotary drum 116 may be loaded with an individual animal identification tag 126. The rotary drum 116 is then mounted on the applicator 100 by pulling back the clamp 134, and releasing it once the rotary drum

116 is in place, so that the clamp 134 engages the inner wall 120 of the rotary drum 116.

Then, the handles 110, 112 may be sgueezed together in order to cause the rotary drum 116 to rotate by means of the actuation mechanism 158. As the ramp 180 engages 15 the curved surface 178 on the cam 162, the cam 162 pivots, causing the pawl 166 to press against the short edge 182 of a tooth 160 on the rotary drum 116 and cause it to rotate. When the ball catch 188 engages a locating detent 186 on the rotary drum 116, the rotary drum 116 stops rotating in a position where a tag compartment 122 is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102. Subseguently, the handles 110, 112 may be released, causing the cam 162 to return to is operating position due to the cam return spring 190.

The dispensing mechanism 147 may then be actuated to dispense a tag 126 from the tag compartment 122 that is aligned with the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102. To do this, the end cap 154 is pressed towards the jaws 102, 104, causing the pusher 148 to extend through the aperture 156 of the tag compartment 122 and push the tag 126 out of the tag compartment 122, over the tag backstop 202 and into the tag receiving portion 142 of the lower jaw 102. The tag backstop 202 then pivots back to the blocking position, to maintain the tag 126 in the tag receiving portion 142. The end cap 154 may then be released, such that the pusher 148 is withdrawn from the tag compartment under action from the spring 157.

Then, an animal’s ear may be placed in the tag affixing gap 106 between the jaws 102, 104, and the handles 110, 112 may be sgueezed together to affix the tag 126 to the animal’s ear in the manner described above. Sgueezing the handles 110, 112 together causes a new tag compartment 122 to be aligned with the tag receiving portion 142, such 35 that a new tag can be dispensed into the tag receiving portion as soon as the previous tag has been affixed to the animal’s ear. This cycle may be repeated until all of the tag

2019200299 17 Jan 2019 compartments 122 of the rotary drum 116 have been emptied, following which the rotary drum may be reloaded, or replaced with another fully-loaded rotary drum.

Of course, other embodiments of the invention may differ from the embodiment described herein. For example, in other embodiments, the jaws may have a different structure, and the mechanism for operating the jaws may be different, e.g. a trigger may be used to move the jaws instead of a pair of handles. Alternative mechanisms for rotating the rotary drum may be provided, for example a system of gears. In some embodiments, the rotation of the drum may be decoupled from the movement of the jaws, i.e. operating the jaws does not cause rotation of the rotary drum. Various operations of the applicator may be partially or fully automated. For example, the dispensing mechanism may automatically dispense a new tag into the jaws as soon as a tag has been affixed to an animal’s ears.

The term ‘comprising’ as used in this specification and claims means ‘consisting at least in part of. When interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include the term ‘comprising’, other features besides the features prefaced by this term in each statement can also be present. Related terms such as ‘comprise’ and ‘comprised’ are to be interpreted in a similar manner.

Claims (18)

1. CLAIMS:

   1. An applicator for animal identification tags, the applicator having:

   a rotatable tag magazine having a plurality of tag compartments, each tag compartment being configured to hold an individual animal identification tag comprising male and female engagement portions;

   a pair of jaws arranged to receive an animal identification tag dispensed from the rotatable tag magazine, the jaws being operable to affix the animal identification tag to an animal’s ear by engaging the male and female portions of the animal identification tag through an ear of an animal placed between the jaws; wherein the rotatable tag magazine is rotatable relative to the jaws such that each of the tag compartments is sequentially alignable with a tag receiving portion of the jaws; and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing an animal identification tag from the rotatable tag magazine into the tag receiving portion of the jaws, wherein the dispensing mechanism is operable to dispense an animal identification tag from a tag compartment that is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws.
2. 2. An applicator according to claim 1, further including an actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism being configured to, when the jaws are operated to affix an animal identification tag to an animal’s ear, cause the rotatable tag magazine to rotate from a first position in which a first tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws to a second position in which a second tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws.
3. 3. An applicator according to claim 2, wherein the actuation mechanism is configured to allow rotation of the rotatable tag magazine relative to the jaws in a first direction, and to prevent rotation of the rotatable tag magazine relative to the jaws in a second, opposite direction.
4. 4. An applicator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the rotatable tag magazine includes a plurality of teeth disposed around a circumference of the rotatable tag magazine;

   wherein the actuation mechanism includes a cam which is pivotable relative to the jaws and engageable with the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine; and wherein operation of the jaws causes the cam to pivot relative to the jaws and engage one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine such that the rotatable tag magazine rotates from the first position to the second position.

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5. 5. An applicator according to claim 4, wherein the cam is pivotable between an operating position and a disengaged position such that:

   when the cam is in the operating position, operation of the jaws causes the cam to pivot relative to the jaws and engage one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine; and when the cam is in the disengaged position, the cam is pivoted relative to the jaws such that it is disengaged from the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine.
6. 6. An applicator according to claim 5, wherein the cam is biased towards the operating position.
7. 7. An applicator according to any one of claims 5-6, wherein the cam includes a pawl which is pivotable relative to a cam body of the cam such that:

   the pawl is configured to engage one of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine when the cam pivots from the operating position to the disengaged position; and the pawl is configured to not engage any of the teeth of the rotatable tag magazine when the cam pivots from the disengaged position to the operating position.
8. 8. An applicator according to any one of claims 4-7, wherein the actuation mechanism includes a protrusion, wherein the cam includes an engagement surface, and wherein operation of the jaws causes the protrusion to push against the cam’s engagement surface to cause the cam to pivot relative to the jaws.
9. 9. An applicator according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable tag magazine includes a plurality of engagement portions, each engagement portion being associated with one of the tag compartments;

   wherein the applicator further includes a locating element; and wherein the locating element is engageable with the engagement portions such that, when a tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws, the locating element is engaged with the engagement portion associated with that tag compartment.
10. 10. An applicator according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable tag magazine is removably mounted on a body portion of the applicator.

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11. 11. An applicator according to claim 10, wherein the rotatable tag magazine is removably mounted on the body portion via a clamp.
12. 12. An applicator according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a pusher, and wherein each tag compartment comprises an aperture such that, when a tag compartment is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws, the pusher is extendable through the aperture of that tag compartment to push an animal identification tag from that tag compartment into the tag receiving portion of the jaws.
13. 13. An applicator according to claim 12, wherein the dispensing mechanism further includes a shaft that is connected to the pusher, wherein the shaft is movable along its length relative to the jaws, and wherein the pusher is extendable through the aperture of the tag compartment by moving the shaft towards the jaws.
14. 14. An applicator according to claim 13, further comprising a handle attached to one of the jaws, wherein the shaft is movable along a channel in the handle.
15. 15. An applicator according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the shaft is aligned with the tag receiving portion of the jaws.
16. 16. An applicator according to any preceding claim, wherein the jaws include a tag backstop configured to hold an animal identification tag in a tag affixing gap between the jaws when the jaws are being operated to affix the animal identification tag to an animal’s ear.
17. 17. The applicator according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotatable tag magazine is a rotary drum.
18. 18. The applicator according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of tag compartments are evenly distributed around a circumference of the rotatable tag magazine.