DE19939277A1 - Ear tag fixing device for farm animals has pneumatic system built into handgrip which drives pin down through upper magazine holding tags, through ear and into tag fastener which is held in lower magazine - Google Patents

Abstract

The device for fixing tags in the ears of farm animals has a pneumatic system built into the handgrip (1). This drives a pin (3) down through an upper magazine (6) holding tags, through the ear and into the tag fastener (12) which is held in a lower magazine (10). All components are attached directly or indirectly to the hand grip.

Description

State of the art

In farms with cattle and pig breeding or fattening, everyone must Animals with a label.

In the case of factory farming, especially of pigs, thousands of Animals are marked. In addition to tattoos, which after a while, however Plastic ear tags are mainly used, which are difficult to read. These exist in each case consisting of an upper part - called a thorn piece - and a lower part with a perforated counter plate called.

The present description refers to the marking of pigs, since here the enormous amount of animals because of the most work and the whole problem with the current state of the art is available.

In most farms, the ear tags are already closed individually using piglets loaded, manually operated pliers pierced through the ear cartilage. Loading the tongs with the mandrel and the counter plate directly in the barn is time consuming. Because of the slow Pressing the marks into the ear, this has a painful effect and leads to unwanted restlessness in the stable by the animal's loud screaming.

Larger animals can be irritated by the pain, pulling themselves out of the pliers, which is not sides tearing out the ear. The bad consequences for the farmer and the animal are obviously.

This shortcoming, known by all farmers, breeders and cattle traders, was wanted recently park with a stationary ear tag plier. In this apparatus, 2 Linear magazines activated the ear tags via an operator's foot Mechanism pressed into the ear. Because the device is stationary, the pigs brought to the tongs and held up. That this is a time consuming process only light pigs, i.e. piglets that are easy to carry, are obvious. The relatively slow lancing process also solves the problems described above with this device Effects.

Due to an unfavorable arrangement of the magazines, there were also the disadvantages that the ear tags are difficult to position on the ear (because the mandrel comes from below) and stuck in the ear with the decisive writing down. So they are from the Peasants not even legible without catching the animal.

That is why the magazine "top agrar" came out in its 8/99 edition Practical test with this device to the result: unsuitable for practice.  

Even individual device developments by the data subjects have so far not brought the desired effects such as:

• - Time saving by marking many animals in quick succession
• - Easy operation of a device
• - Fatigue-free work with little effort
• - Robust, agricultural device
• - Storage of the ear tags outside the barn
• - Portable device that is also suitable for marking larger pigs
• - Painless marking without unrest in the barn

The invention

The present invention now presents a simple, portable device with which all commercially available plastic ear tags on many animals - whether large or small - sequentially, quickly, precisely positioned and applied almost painlessly can.

The production and the very positive practical results with this new device for Attaching ear tags to farm animals has shown that good solutions to problems often look quite simple and logical, but a lot of ingenuity and development effort require to be safe in terms of function, ease of use and economical Manufacturing to meet market needs.

The inventive device for retracting ear tags consists of one with a Hand portable and operable, pneumatic or electromagnetically operated tacker, whose piston with a pressure dome to push the mandrel piece through the Counter plate is connected mandrel pieces are arranged in an upper magazine magazine, Counter plates in a lower magazine. Contours of the Magazines allow the use of various commercially available ear tags. Self Special ear tag designs or new developments can be done with relatively little Changes to the magazines and the pressure dome with this device principle be used.

The animal ear is inserted into the distance between the two magazines and by the tacker actuation marked. The clear view of the tip of the mandrel piece allows very precise positioning the brand in the ear. The magazines can be conveniently loaded outside the barn. Both rod magazines and circular magazines can be used. The Feed from ear tag to ear tag can be done manually on cheap devices or automatically using techniques known per se.

Practical tests have shown that the animals do not get any through the very fast shot Feel pain and thanks to the extremely short bang none of the ones in the stable troubled animals. This stress-free marking of piglets for the animals, in addition to the mother sow, breeders will appreciate it in no time.

Application example

A particularly advantageous embodiment of a manually operated device for attachment of pentagonal ear tags on pigs is described below.

Figure 1 shows a device according to the invention in a side view, and Figure 2 shows a lower magazine with an inserted counter plate in a top view.

Since compressed air is the simplest energy available in every agricultural operation today, a pressure dome ( 3 ) adapted to the respective mandrel piece ( 2 ) of the ear tag is fitted to a compressed air tacker ( 1 ) consisting of a handle housing with air connection and cylinder area. The support element ( 4 ) with the magazine axis ( 5 ) connects compressed air stacker ( 1 ) and magazine ( 6 ) and ( 10 ) to each other. The retaining ring ( 7 ) holds the mandrel pieces ( 2 ) in the upper magazine ( 6 ). The retaining ring ( 9 ) holds the counter plates ( 12 ) in the lower magazine ( 10 ). The spacer ring ( 8 ) gives the ear tag or magazine distance in order to be able to insert the animal ear at location ( 22 ). A locking screw ( 11 ) holds all magazine parts together via the magazine axis ( 5 ). A protective shield ( 13 ) prevents unintentional touching / scratching of the mandrel pieces ( 2 ) on the ear.

To load the upper ( 6 ) or lower magazine ( 10 ), they are normally loaded outside of the barn with mandrel pieces ( 2 ) and counter plates ( 12 ) in an arrangement according to Figure 2. The upper and lower magazine are constructed identically, loaded with the same number and in the same order with ear tag parts ( 2 ) and ( 12 ), which is why only a lower magazine ( 10 ) with a counter plate ( 12 ) is shown here.

If the marking work is to be carried out extremely quickly, the parts ( 6 ), ( 10 ), ( 7 ), ( 9 ) and ( 8 ) can be plugged together using devices known per se and thus form a complete magazine set which can be replaced in about 5 seconds.

The number of 21 ear tags per magazine is ideal for the work of the farmer because it does continuous marking z. B. allowed by piglets from two litters. Much bigger Magazines would be unwieldy. The are suitable for this very space-saving arrangement best known and widely used pentagonal ear tags.

The magazines are switched from one earmark to the next at inexpensive devices easily and with no loss of time manually in their execution known rest techniques or will also automatically if necessary via technical known facilities clocked. If the magazines are empty, they are in Easily replaced by full in seconds.

By placing the mandrel pieces ( 2 ) with the dome far out on the edge of the upper magazine ( 6 ) and through viewing slots ( 14 ) in the protective shield ( 13 ), the operator can see exactly where the ear tag is located on the ear. This excludes the risk of injury to the animal's head and ear tags placed too far out on the ear.

Depending on the size of the farm and the number of animals to be marked at the same time Usually only between 4 and 6 sets of magazines are used per company, which is very little Investment costs with optimal time saving means.

All device components are preferably made of light metal, which is the required robustness and longevity. Cleaning and maintenance is included this device design is largely unnecessary.

Practice has shown that it is almost impossible to make it easier for humans and animals!

This device for attaching ear tags is also suitable for cattle dealers who still must mark animals of any size shortly before loading. Via a compressed air coupling the required compressed air system is always available.

Of course, electromagnetic tacker z. B. with 12 volt connection can be used.

That this device sets ear tag numbers in very specific orders can be taken for granted.

It is also obvious that the manufacturers of ear tags are injection molded process manufactured parts of the brand in future so coherently that they z. B. as Round unit with 21 brands can be placed in the magazine even more quickly can.

The principle of a tacker with a pressure mandrel adapted to the corresponding ear tags, and two round earring magazines filled at any time is released as portable, free mobile, handy device in the near future as the "Metzler ear tag stapler" many Bringing farmers enormous workload and time savings.

Claims (17)

1. Apparatus for attaching two-part ear tags to farm animals, characterized in that a power-operated sliding device by means of a pressure element presses a top part of an ear tag guided in an upper holding device through the ear cartilage into a lower part of an ear tag guided in a lower holding device. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that all its elements directly or are indirectly connected with a handle. 3. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the entire device can be carried and operated by the operator with one hand. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the power operated slide device from a pneumatic cylinder with piston and a known Actuation mechanism exists. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the power operated slide device is operated electromagnetically. 6. Device according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pressure element consists of a pressure dome that is matched to the ear tags in its geometry. 7. Device according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the holding devices for the upper and lower parts of the ear tags one or more Record ear tags. 8. Device according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that holding devices for the ear tag parts from two linear magazines with automatic feed device with a geometry matched to the ear tags. 9. Device according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that holding devices for the ear tag parts from two round magazines with one matched to the ear tags Geometry exist. 10. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that holding devices for the ear tag parts from two round magazines with automatic rotating device a geometry matched to the ear tags. 11. Device according to claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the Holding devices, called magazines, manually or automatically outside the Animal stalls are loaded.   12. Device according to claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the magazine with Ear tags are loaded in orderly number order and top and lower magazine can be positioned to each other by fixing devices. 13. Device according to claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the positioning the ear tags in the ear are made by adjustable contact devices. 14. Device according to claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the upper and lower magazine put together again after the individual loading as one connected unit can be brought to the handle. 15. Device according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the conversion to different ear tag types simply by changing the top and bottom, Magazines and the print mandrel. 16. Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the conversion to different Ear tag types simply by changing shape inserts in the upper and lower Magazine. 17. Device according to claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it with all of its Functional components, but without the handle in an automatic marking system is integrated.