EP0963154A1

EP0963154A1 - Process and device for identifying animals

Info

Publication number: EP0963154A1
Application number: EP98901292A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Markus Zeitler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-02-12
Filing date: 1998-02-06
Publication date: 1999-12-15
Also published as: AU5745298A; WO1998035548A1; US6263762B1; CA2280802A1

Abstract

A device has ten needle pipes (12) containing movable needles (13) and arranged in two superimposed lines on a write head (7). Each needle pipe (12) is secured to a table (23) which can be motor-driven in two horizontal directions, so that the needle pipe opening (9) can be moved over a predetermined identification field on the animal skin. Programme-controlled means (47-49; 56-58) are provided for making the needles (13) vibrate vertically at predetermined points within the identification field, depending on the characters to be tattooed. The needle points thus vibrate out of the needle pipe opening (9) and penetrate into the animal skin down to a particular depth. The device is characterised in that it has a pumping device (38) for pumping the tattooing liquid downwards through the needle pipe (12) while the needle pipe (12) is moved at least in one direction of displacement, so that the needles (13) are forcibly and permanently surrounded by tattooing liquid during said displacement of the needle pipe (12).

Description

Method and device for marking animals

The present invention relates on the one hand to a method for marking animals, and on the other hand to an apparatus for carrying out the method. Marking slaughter cattle in a way that ensures tracking of animal life from the birth or origin of an animal to boning in the slaughterhouse is of increasing importance. As a result of the decoupling of the personal relationship between the meat producer and the meat consumer and due to the impossible or at least incomplete understanding of the meat route from the producer to the consumer, there is a growing interest in consumer circles to be able to identify exactly where a particular meat comes from to be able to draw conclusions about the mast and the geographical origin. Such a labeling option is not only in the interest of meat consumers. The producers also want a labeling option, on the one hand to ensure professional quality control of the breeding and fattening of their animals, but also in general to enable the most complete and individual monitoring of their animal population possible. So there is great interest in being able to monitor the complete life history of each individual animal safely and accurately. The relevant data for each individual animal can then be systematically processed, from which evidence is possible on the one hand, and conclusions can be drawn on the other. For example, vaccinations, feeding, Measurements of weight, size, etc., the administration of medication or disease treatments as well as the pedigree and all sorts of other data can always be safely assigned to a single animal and systematically recorded.But not only slaughter cattle producers but also animal breeders must carefully monitor the life history of their animals and the important ones Systematically record data in order to be able to systematically bring about breeding success.After all, the animal and meat trade organizations at every level as well as the processing companies and sales organizations are interested in the traceability of each individual animal life.A prerequisite for safe monitoring and such traceability is always the safe identification of the animals .

There are various current methods of labeling animals. For example, an animal can have an ear tag or it can be tattooed. These tattoos are made with pliers, and the tattoo site must be accessible from both sides. However, the ears of pigs, for example, are often very dirty, or parts of the ears are even torn off in the event of injuries, so that the tattoos are difficult or impossible to read at all Body parts are no longer identifiable

Tattoos are very safe in themselves because they are incessant and grow with the tie. The problem of the tattoo is, however, up to now. In order to be able to apply tattoos to body parts that are only accessible from one side, various tattoo devices have become known. These are devices that are one or have several tattoo needles, which perform a rapid up and down movement similar to a sewing machine needle and thereby insert punctures corresponding to the animal skin to a certain puncture depth. An antiseptic tattoo fluid containing suitable color pigments is applied to the tattoo site before, during or immediately after the punctures are applied and added, which then flows into the punctures and settles permanently in the skin EP 0'006'395 has disclosed a method and a device for identifying animals. In this method, part of the device, namely the writing attachment of the tattoo device, is placed on the skin surface of the animal to be tattooed. Then a vacuum is first created between the skin and this writing attachment, as a result of which the skin is sucked immovably onto the writing attachment of the tattoo device. Thereupon, preselected marks are pierced into the skin by means of tattoo needles, and tattoo fluid is simultaneously introduced into the punctures by means of the tattoo needles. After completing the tattooing process, air is released between the skin and the device and the device is removed from the skin or animal. To use this device, the marking area must be coated with tattoo fluid before tattooing. Only then can the actual tattooing be done with the device. It has no automatic supply for the tattoo fluid and it is only stated that the tattoo fluid can be supplied in a known manner. However, it has been shown that an automatic supply of tattoo fluid, such as is described in British Patent 1,444,355, does not work on such a device.

In this British patent specification 1,444,355, a tattoo device in the manner of a hand-held jigsaw is proposed, the individual characters having to be written effectively on the skin of the animal by correspondingly moving the hand device. The British patent further teaches that the housing part which contains the needles can enclose a chamber into which pigments can be introduced. In practice, however, the liquid in the needle container dries quickly when the device is not in use, with the result that the fine needles and the supply lines inevitably get stuck.

To date, no tattoo device has proven itself in practice and none has found widespread use in the industry. Either their use is too complex, because too extensive preparatory work for each tattoo is necessary, or the operation of the devices is not trouble-free in the long run. In addition, the variability of the tattooable characters is often too limited, or if you still want to tattoo longer characters, the time to apply the tattoo is too long.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for the individual identification of animals, with which the disadvantages mentioned are eliminated. The procedure should be safe, that is, the marking should remain indelible and legible on the animal from the moment of marking, so that it can still be read safely on the skinned or brooded animal body even after it has been slaughtered. In addition, the label should be forgery-proof and so large that it is easy to read. The method should be able to be applied to the animal in such a way that the animal is neither put under stress, nor is any particular pain felt or even injured. In addition, the process should be quick and can be used anywhere.

The device for performing the method should be efficient so that as many animals as possible can be identified per time. The device should be handy and consequently mobile, and its operation should be safe and simple, so that the device can also be operated in a dirty environment without any problems and is also trouble-free in the long run. Finally, the device should enable sufficiently individual labeling with sufficient variability in the labeling data and should be so inexpensive to buy and operate that it can be used for most larger animal farms.

On the one hand, this object is achieved by a method for the identification of animals according to the preamble of claim 1, which is characterized by its characteristic features.

On the other hand, the object is achieved by a device for carrying out the method, in accordance with the preamble of claim 5, which is characterized by its characteristic features. In the following, the device as a whole and its individual essential components are first described using an exemplary embodiment. The function of the device described, and thereby the claimed method, are explained below.

It shows:

Figure 1: The device for labeling animals in an overall view;

Figure 2: The writing attachment seen from below in a 1: 1 representation and below a tattoo created with it;

Figure 3: The device of Figure 1 in use when tattooing a piglet;

Figure 4: The internal components of the device of Figures 1 and 3 in a schematic linear and two-dimensional exploded view seen from the front;

Figure 5: The vibrating device for the needles in the floor plan,

Figure 6: A needle tube with a supply channel for the tattoo fluid and with the associated vibrating device for the needles seen from the side;

FIG. 7: The table, which can be moved horizontally in two directions, with its drives and the pumping device with respect to the illustration in FIG. 4, seen from the right side;

Figure 8: The horizontally movable table in two directions with its drives and the pump device seen from above; Figure 9: The leadership of the tattoo fluid and the pump device shown partially cut away;

Figure 10: The tattoo display (display) and the membrane keyboard;

Figure 11: Four different tattoo variants a) to d) as examples.

Figure 1 shows the device for labeling animals in an overall view. This device has a frame 1 to which the actual tattoo device is attached with its housing 2. A bag 3 in which the tattoo fluid 4 is located is suspended from the frame 1. This tattoo fluid is a very homogeneous, light-fast and skin-friendly ink, which contains color pigments that are not washed out in the skin. The device has on its housing 2 a liquid crystal display as a tattoo display 5, and a membrane keyboard 6 for entering the data. It is supplied with electrical current to household voltage via a cable, i.e. depending on the 220 or 1 lOVolt. Behind the display 5, a transformer is housed in the uppermost part of the housing 2, which transforms the voltage down to the operating voltage of 24 volts. As a result of this low operating voltage of the device, both the operator and the animal to be tattooed are protected against dangerous electric shocks. The actual writing set 7 can be seen at the bottom of the device. It has on its lower side two rows of five adjacent openings 8, each of which forms a label. In each of these openings 8, the mouth 9 of a needle tube can be seen, which can move back and forth and up and down within the respective opening 8. In the situation shown, all needle tubes are in their respective starting positions for a tattoo, that is to say seen from below in the respective upper right corner of the opening 8. On the writing attachment 7, two contact pins 10 can be seen to the left and right of the openings 8. These contact pins 10 can be pressed against the spring force into the writing attachment 7. If both contact pins 10 are pressed into the writing attachment 7, a writing or tattooing process is triggered. The animal to be marked is thus pressed from below with the body part to be tattooed onto the writing attachment 7, the contact pins 10 being pressed by the animal body be pressed into the writing attachment 7. The animal is held in this position and the tattoo is complete after 3 to 4 seconds, which is indicated visually and acoustically. It can therefore only be tattooed when the animal body is held firmly against the writing attachment 7, otherwise no tattooing process can be triggered at all. This triggering is first of all very safe, since neither a hand nor a foot of the operator has to be reserved specifically for triggering the tattooing process. Both hands are always free to grasp and hold the animal properly. To mark large cattle, the device can be hung on a spring and is then pressed down on the handles on the animal body, which also triggers the tattooing process.

In Figure 2, the writing attachment is shown in a 1: 1 view seen from below. Each opening 8 defines a label. Thus, with this arrangement of the openings 8, two superimposed lines with five characters each can be written. In each of the openings 8 the mouth of a needle tube 12 can be seen and in each of these needle tubes 8 there are four needles 13, which are combined to form a bundle. The first character of the upper line is written in the field in the top right of the drawing. When writing or tattooing, the needle tubes 12 are guided in each opening 8 simultaneously and jointly in such a way that their mouths 9 in their respective openings 8 all follow the path shown in the upper right field. The drive to travel this path is carried out by means of stepper motors which move a table, to which the needle tubes 12 are ultimately attached, in two horizontal directions, as will be described in more detail later. Depending on which character is to be written in a specific identification field, the needles 13 in the corresponding needle tube 12 are vibrated at the corresponding points in a program-controlled manner, so that their needle tips swing out of the needle tube mouth 9 and penetrate into the skin held against the writing attachment 7. At the same time, the tattoo fluid flows out of all needle tubes 12 during their transverse movements in the identification field under pressure, which therefore flows around the needles 13 inside the needle tubes 12. In the picture below the writing attachment 7, the letter E is shown as it is by the needles 13 is written in the second field from the left of the upper line of the writing attachment 7 shown above

FIG. 3 shows the device in use. As can be seen, the device is attached to a frame 1, which in turn forms an attachment on, for example, a feed wagon 14. Thus, the device is placed at a comfortable height and is mobile. The operator can do this Place the piglet on his knee and then hold it under the writing pad 7 for 3 to 4 seconds.No further preparation work is required on the piglet.Neither does this first have to be shaved at the tattoo site, nor does this area have to be coated with tattoo fluid beforehand Tattoo visible. It is about the size of a palm. It is understood that the design of the device can also be designed differently. The labeling fields could be arranged and dimensioned differently. More or fewer needle tubes could be used, but this did not change the principle of the present invention. After finishing the tattooing, it is important to close the mouths of the needle tubes with a protective cap, whereby an airtight cushion is printed on the mouth to prevent tattoo fluid from drying out in the needle tubes

FIG. 4 shows the essential internal components of the device in a schematic linear and two-dimensional exploded drawing. This makes it easier to understand the structure of the entire device. The device is divided into three essential units 15, 16, 17 arranged one above the other, each of which has an assembly rod 19 , 20 are connected to one another at the top, the electrical and electronic assembly 15. The middle assembly 16 welds the drive means for the horizontal movement of the needle tubes 12 and the pumping device for the tattoo fluid, while the lower assembly 17 the needle tubes 12 with the needles and their Vibration system included On the electrical and electronic unit 15, the associated membrane keyboard 6 with the liquid crystal display 5 is shown. Behind it on the mounting plate 18 is the transformer 19 for transforming the input voltage down to 24 volt operating voltage An the Mounting disc 18 is also attached to the main board with the integrated circuits for the entire electronics. This entire electrical and electronic assembly 15 is screwed with the mounting disk 18 onto the upper ends of the mounting rod 20. The assembly 16 arranged below it has three disks 21, 22, 23 arranged in parallel to one another, of which the two lower disks 22, 23 each in one The top disk 21 is arranged in a stationary manner in the housing 2 of the device. This disk 21 carries the drive means for moving the two disks 22, 23 arranged underneath and the pump device for the tattoo fluid. The drive means are first described These include a stepper motor for each of the two mutually perpendicular directions of movement of the disks 22, 23 below. In component 24, which is fixedly mounted on the stationary disc 21, there is a first stepper motor, the output axis 25 of which drives a ball screw 27 via a toothed belt 26, which is threadedly mounted in the component 28. A ball screw ensures a play-free drive, even in the event of reversals Drive direction The component 28 passes through a recess in the disk 21 at the bottom and is mounted on the disk 22 On the top of the disk 22, four square spacer elements 34 are arranged on its periphery, distributed radially around its circumference. The two in the drawing on the left and Spacer elements 34 shown on the right are guided into a guide groove which is formed by plastic elements 50 screwed onto the underside of the stationary disk 21. Thus, the disc 22 in the image can only be shifted towards the left or right relative to the stationary disc 21. If the stepping motor in component 24 is actuated, component 28 in the image shifts towards left or right. This movement is stopped by a limit switch in component 28 in turn, a second stepper motor is housed, the output shaft 29 of which drives a further ball spindle 31 via the toothed belt 30.This ball spindle 31 is threadedly mounted in a component which is arranged behind the component 28 and is not visible here.This component passes through the superimposed recesses in both the stationary disc 21 and also in the disk 22 underneath to the disk 23 on which it is fastened. On the underside of the disk 22, four further four-sided spacer elements 36 which are directed radially towards the center are fastened on the top of the disk 23 perpendicular to the plane of the drawing sheet guide grooves formed by plastic elements 37. If the stepper motor in the component 28 is put into operation, the disk 23 therefore moves perpendicular to the sheet plane of the drawing. The back and forth movement of the lower disk 23 is also stopped by a limit switch. Due to the intersecting freedom of movement of the two disks 22 and 23, each point can be approached within a certain field by superimposing both movements with the disk 23. The disc 23 thus forms a table which can be displaced in the plane in any direction and is supported by a ring 32 arranged beneath it, on which it is mounted and which is connected to the outside by means of a circumferential ring 33 with the stationary disc 21. The relative movement of the component 24 to the component 28 on the stationary disk 21 causes the needle tubes to shift in the general writing direction and is also used directly to operate a pumping device for the tattoo fluid. This pump device consists of the two elements 38 and 39 visible here. Two identical elements are attached to the rear of the components 24 and 28. The component 39 has an inlet connection 40 at the top. A hose is connected there, which supplies the tattoo fluid from a bag of the pumping device. The component 39 acts as a distributor in that it has five identical outgoing pipes 41. These tubes 41 protrude into bores in component 38 and are tightly guided therein by means of O-rings. They act as a piston in component 38. Inside the component 38, two one-way valves are connected in series, as will be described in more detail later. These one-way valves ensure that when pumping, that is, when the tubes 41 move into the component 38 as pistons, no liquid can flow backwards through the tubes 41, but rather is pressed through the orifice nipple 42. Conversely, if the components 24 and 28 move apart and thus the tubes 41 or pistons move out of the component 38, the second one-way valve immediately seals and the first opens, so that tattoo fluid can flow from the distributor 39 into the space between the two one-way valves . Hoses 43 lead from the outlet nipples 42 to the mounting elements 44 for the needle tubes 12 and there into feed channels 44 through which the tattoo fluid is pumped into the interior of the needle tubes 12. The lower component 17 contains the vibration system for the tattoo needles, as well as the needle tubes 12 including the writing attachment 7. These elements are attached to two parallel mounting disks 45, 46, which are held together by four connecting rods 51 distributed around the circumference. The mounting elements 44 for the needle tubes 12 are screwed onto the lower mounting disk 46 and at the same time form a flow channel in their interior for the supply of tattoo fluid. Electromagnets 47 are seated on these mounting elements 44, which are penetrated from below with screws which lead through the inner flow channel. So that these screws do not close the flow channel, they are tapered in their longitudinal center so that they can flow around them in the flow channel. This design saves space. Above the electromagnets 47 or above the cores of the electromagnets, the magnet armatures 48 are each attached to a swing arm 49. The swing arms 49 are hinged to the upper mounting plate 45 and rest with their end in an element which acts on the plunger, which holds the needles at its lower end. A compression spring 58 is installed between the plunger and the needle tube, so that the plunger with the needles is in its upper position in the rest position, and thus the needles are retracted behind the lower mouth of the needle tube 12.

Figure 5 shows the vibrating device for the needles in plan. The lower mounting plate 46 is shown in dashed lines and is connected by means of the connecting rods 51 to the upper mounting plate 45, which here has a rectangular recess 52, which gives a view from above of the plunger heads 56 to the individual needle tubes. The elements between the two mounting plates 45, 46 are shown in dashed lines. For each of the ten labeling fields there is a vibrating device with the associated needle tube and needle bundle. The individual vibrating devices are somewhat wider than the respective distance between two adjacent labeling fields. For this reason, the oscillating devices which are assigned to the three middle identification fields of each line are arranged at an angle to one another for reasons of space. The two outermost identification fields are each provided by two vibration devices, which are also arranged at an angle to each other served. In total, all ten vibrating devices are arranged in a space-saving manner around the entire circumference of the identification field of the writing attachment, as is clearly visible. Each vibration device includes two electromagnets 47 here. The magnet armature, which is attached to a swing arm 49, runs above each of these electromagnets 47. These swing arms 49 are attached at one end to a joint element and this is screwed onto the upper mounting plate 45 by means of a screw 53. The other end of the swing arms 49 is movable and acts on a plunger, as will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows a single needle tube 12 with a supply channel 54 for the tattoo fluid and with the associated oscillating device for the needles 13 seen from the side. The vibrating device is built on the mounting element 44, which forms a steel body which has a bore 54 for guiding the tattoo fluid. The mounting element 44 is screwed onto the mounting disc 46, not shown here, by means of the screws 60. The bore 54 is closed on the outer side by a pin not shown here. On top of the mounting element 44 is a nipple 62, on which the supply tube 43 for the tattoo fluid is placed and secured with a clip 64. The electromagnets 47 are built on the mounting element 44 and held with the screws 59. These screws 59 are somewhat tapered in their longitudinal center so that they can pass through the bore 54 and the tattoo fluid can flow around them. Above the electromagnets 47 one can see the magnet armature 48 which is attached to a swing arm 49. This swing arm 49 is fastened via a joint element 55 by means of the screw 53 to the upper mounting disk 45, not shown here. Its end protrudes into the head 56 of the plunger 57. The plunger 57 itself is held and guided in a guide tube 66, which is inserted in the guide element perpendicular to the latter. This guide tube 66 has an internal thread 63 at its lower mouth, into which the needle tube 12 is screwed. Inside the needle tube 12, four needles 13 are combined into a bundle and guided by the needle tube 12. The plunger 57 has in its lower region an upward shoulder on which there is an O-ring 61, which in turn rests against a shoulder on the guide tube 66. Above this O-ring 61 The bore 54 opens into the guide tube 66. A sealing element 67 is screwed into the top of the guide tube 66, which presses on an O-ring 68 below and seals the tappet 57 against the top. Between the sealing element 67 and the plunger head 56, a compression spring 58 is inserted, which presses the plunger 57 continuously upwards. The lower O-ring 61 seals the guide tube 66 against the bottom. However, if the electromagnet 47 is energized, the magnet armature 48 is pulled downward, so that the plunger 57 is also pressed downward against the force of the compression spring 58 via the swing arm 49. The plunger 57 opens the passage for the tattoo fluid at the bottom, so that it can flow around the lower end region of the plunger 57 and is thus pumped into the interior of the needle tube 12 and fills the space between the needles 13 and the interior of the needle tube, thereby filling the needles 13 washed around. When an alternating voltage of 50 Hz is applied to the electromagnets 47, the plunger 57 also oscillates at 50 Hz and accordingly the tattoo fluid flows intermittently along the needles 13 onto the tattooing site.

FIG. 7 shows the assembly 16 shown in FIG. 4 from the front with the table which can be moved horizontally in two directions and its drives and the pumping device, but now seen from the right-hand side with respect to the illustration in FIG. 4. As described, this assembly 16 has three disks 21, 22, 23 arranged parallel to one another, of which the two lower ones 22, 23 can each be displaced horizontally in one direction to the respective overlying disk. The top disk 21 is stationary. This disk 21 carries the drive means for each of the two mutually perpendicular directions of movement of the disks 22, 23 below. In the component 24, which is fixedly mounted on the stationary disk 21, there is a first stepping motor which is connected to the component 28 via a ball screw. The component 28 passes through a recess in the disk 21 at the bottom and is mounted on the disk 22. On the top of the disk 22, four spacer elements 34 are arranged radially extending around its periphery over its periphery. The front and the hidden rear guide element 34 in the drawing is guided in a guide groove which is formed by plastic elements 35 screwed to the underside of the stationary disk 21. The disc 22 can thus be compared to the stationary disc 21 in the image only move towards the front or rear If the stepper motor in component 24 is actuated, component 28 in the image moves towards the front or rear. This movement is stopped by a limit switch, of which the front limit switch 69 is shown here, which is on the stationary disc 21 is attached A screw 70 on component 28 actuates it. Component 28 houses a second stepper motor, the output axis 29 of which drives a further ball spindle 31 via toothed belt 30.This ball spindle 31 is threadedly supported in component 32.This component 32 passes through the superimposed recesses both in of the stationary disk 21 as well as in the disk 22 below it onto the disk 23 on which it is fastened. On the underside of the disk 22, four square spacer elements 36 directed radially towards the center are fastened. On the upper side of the disk 23 there are two opposite ones Plastic elements 37 assembled, di e act as guide grooves for the spacer elements 36 guided in them. If the stepping motor in the component 28 is put into operation, the disk 23 therefore moves back and forth in the plane of the sheet. These movements of the lower disk 23 are also stopped by a limit switch. One of these limit switches 72, which is attached to component 32, is shown. This is actuated by screw 71 on component 28. Due to the intersecting freedom of movement of the two disks 22 and 23, each point can be approached by superimposing both movements in a certain field a ring 32 arranged below it, on which it is slidable by means of the slide bearing 50, and which is connected to the outside by means of a circumferential ring 33 with the stationary disk 21. The relative movement of the component 24 to the component 28 on the stationary disk 21 also becomes directly Operating a pumping device for the tattoo fluid used by In the pumping device, only the elements 39 are visible, which have an inlet connection 40 at the top. A hose is connected there, which supplies the tattoo fluid from a bag of the pumping device. The component 39 acts as a distributor by having five identical, outgoing to the rear and therefore here Does not have visible pipes 41 These pipes 41 protrude into bores in the component 38 arranged behind them and are then tightly guided by means of O-rings FIG. 8 shows the central component 16 from FIG. 4, finally seen from above. Here one looks at the uppermost disk 21, which is installed in the housing 2 and on which the component 24 is mounted. The component 24 contains the first stepper motor, the output axis 25 of which drives the ball screw 27 via the toothed belt 26, which is threadedly supported in the component 28. The component 28 passes through a recess in the disc 21 at the bottom and is mounted on the disc 22. If the stepping motor in the component 24 is actuated, the component 28 shifts up and down in the image plane, that is to say the disc 22 is inserted into the Directions ge ass moves the arrows shown until the drive is stopped by a limit switch 69. The second stepper motor is accommodated in the component 28, the output shaft 29 of which drives a further ball spindle 31 via the toothed belt 30. This ball screw 31 is threaded in a component 32 arranged here on the right next to the component 28. This component 32 goes through the superimposed recesses both in the stationary disc 21 and in the disc 22 below it down to the disc 23 on which it is attached. If the stepping motor in the component 28 is put into operation, the disk 23 therefore moves to the left or right in the sheet plane of the drawing. This back and forth movement of the lower disk 23 is also stopped by a limit switch 72 due to the intersecting freedom of movement of the two Disks 22 and 23 allow the disk 23 to be moved in all directions with respect to the stationary disk 21. The relative movement of the component 24 to the component 28 on the stationary disk 21 is also used directly to operate a pumping device for the tattoo fluid

FIG. 9 shows the guidance of the tattoo fluid, the pump device being shown partially cut away. The tattoo fluid is located in a bag 3 which is suspended from the frame of the device. The fill level can be seen on the bag 3 itself, be it that the bag 3 is transparent or otherwise simply because of its bulge. that for the leakage of tattoo liquid no air has to get into the bag 3 at its lower end, but simply its volume decreases. This can be elegantly ensured that no air gets into the line system for the tattoo fluid. The bag is connected to the tubing system by a hollow needle 65 through its lower one Sealing cover 73 is inserted. For this purpose, this closure cover 73 has a rubber stopper which is pierced with the hollow needle 65 for tapping. If the bag is empty, it can be replaced by a new, filled bag, for which purpose the hollow needle 65 is simply pulled out and inserted into the closure plug of the new bag without air getting into the line system. The tattoo fluid flows through a hose 74 into the distributor 39 and from there through the five pipes 41 into the pump housing 38, of which the upper part is shown cut away from the two distributors 39, the are arranged on both sides of the component 28, for each needle tube there is a separate line, in which pumping is also carried out separately. The pumping device for each line is implemented as follows. The tube 41 is sealed by means of an O-ring 75 in the cylinder 76 which is passed through the pump housing 38 runs so that the O-ring does not get stuck in the cylinder, the inside is chemically nickel-plated and thermally aftertreated The tube 41, which acts as a piston, is tapered and closed at the end. The taper 77 has radial bores 78, and a tube section 79 is slipped over the taper 77, so that the end of the piston in the manner of a bicycle tube valve as One-way valve acts further forward in cylinder 76, a similarly constructed and rectified one-way valve 80 is built in. One-way valves of this type have the advantage that they respond directly in both directions. When the pistons move into cylinder 76, the one-way valve is tight at its end. that is, the hose section 79 lies snugly on the taper 77 and closes the radial bores 78 therein. However, the similar one-way valve arranged in the cylinder opens when the piston pumps, causing the hose section to pressurize the liquid pumped through the radial bores stretches a little so the liquid is there Can flow down along the taper forward If the piston reverses after a full stroke, a negative pressure is created between the two one-way valves, by virtue of which the hose section 79 on the taper 77 of the piston expands somewhat, so that liquid passes through the bores 78 under the hose section 79 on the taper 77 can flow into the space between the one-way valves, while the front one-way valve is closed, because the negative pressure there pulls the hose section through the holes to the taper, so that the hose section seals the taper The pump tube according to the paths that the needle tubes in the openings in the writing attachment run in the direction transverse to the letter height. In the example described, these are 6.5 mm. The cylinder 76 has a diameter of 7 mm, so that each of the 10 pistons pumps 250 mm ^'5 with each stroke, which corresponds to a total of 2,500 mm ^J or 2 5 ml. This amount is pumped with each tattooing process.When the needle tubes move transversely in the openings of the writing attachment in the writing direction, pumping takes place at the same time.A total of five vertical movements of the needle tubes during writing result in four intermediate transverse movements, during which pumping takes place Cylinder 79 in a hose nipple 42, on which a hose 43 is inserted, which leads to a mounting element 44 for a needle tube 12. From this mounting element 44, the tattoo fluid passes through a feed channel 54 into the needle tube 12 and in this around the needles and finally into the animal's skin

The foil keyboard and the foil display are shown in FIG. 10. A foil keyboard has the great advantage that the device works trouble-free even in a dirty and dusty environment, because all electrical and electronic components remain practically hermetically sealed from the ambient air. The display and the input functions and the associated electronics open up a multitude of possibilities for the user. These are therefore to be described below for better understanding. The display shows two lines, and 12 positions on each line. Five positions on each line show the characters that are tattooed on the animal during the next tattooing process for each of the ten positions The tattoo display can be selected from 46 characters of a fiei. So the numbers 0 to 9 are available, then the letters A to Z, as well as the umlauts a, o and u. In addition, the characters *, -, -, &, d \ 9 Each tattoo is paid for by the device and indicated in the top left in the first line, next to the tattoo advertisement, at display 83 by means of a three-digit number. After a hundred tattoos, the number flashes. By pressing key 91 for a longer time, the number is set to zero and you can continue to work with the device. If display 84 shows a 1, the tattoo symbol shown can only be tattooed once The display 84 flashes for tattooing. A new character must then be entered before a new tattooing process can be triggered. The 88 button can be used to switch to the multiple tattoo function. Then the digit 84 always shows the letter X. Pressing the button 91 activates the upper or lower line of the display for input. In addition, this button 81 triggers the drive for the pumping device for the tattoo fluid, so that the pump is actuated five times in succession. This serves to vent the lines if air has been sucked in for any reason. With key 88 you can choose between three modes by pressing repeatedly, which are indicated at position 85 by the numbers 1, 2 or 3. For example, a separate sign can be continuously tattooed for three different stables, or a distinction can be made for fattening, breeding and other things. With the individual keys of the input field 87, each position of the currently activated line in the tattoo display can be changed, either by the + up key in the character string or by the - down key in the character string. As soon as the desired tattoo mark is set, the animal can be gripped and held under the writing attachment. The tattooing process ends after three to four seconds and the display flashes at position 84 if the mode for simple tattooing is set. You change the character by entering or changing one or more digits and the device is ready for the next tattooing process. Programming on the electronic display is therefore very simple and user-friendly and enables standardized or individual identifications through numerical codes and signs.

In Figure 1 1 four different possibilities for marking are shown as examples: Figure a) shows a subdivision in which the two letters SH for the boar are shown on the top line and the three-digit number 534 for the mother animal on the right. On the lower line, the piglet number is given on the left with P17, and on the right the birth week 26. Figure b) shows a variant in which an X is shown in the top left for the farm identification, on the right the litter litter. Below that is the date of birth of June 30, 1996 with the number 30696. In figure c) the first line shows a brand or a quality signet, and the lower line shows a consecutive piglet number with AM995. Finally, Figure d) shows on the left above a cooperative symbol, namely FCL, and on the right the family number 28. In the second line 79 is the weight of 7.9kg and on the right the number 365 for the last calendar day of the Jalire. Of course, many other combinations are possible, depending on the needs and preferences of the user. It is also possible to transfer the tattooed data directly from the device to a computer, after which it can be recorded in a database and further processed.

With this device and the method used to identify animals, an individual and absolutely forgery-proof identifier can be tattooed directly and practically painlessly on the animal body in only three to four seconds. The high-performance print head and the electronically regulated ink supply ensure a clean and always legible typeface. The size of the characters on the device presented is 8x12mm and the size of the image when tattooing is 32x70mm. This tattoo grows with the animal, so that after 26 weeks it has a size of 80x170mm for a tattooed piglet and can therefore be easily read from a distance of several meters. The exact penetration depth of maximum 2mm and the skin-compatible special ink prevent any injury and eliminate the risk of infection. Thanks to the high writing performance, the identification of 50 to 100 animals per hour is possible

Claims

claims

1. A method for identifying animals with a writing attachment (7) with at least one needle tube (12) with needles (13) movably guided therein, the needle tube (12) being so movable through a table (23) that can be moved in two horizontal directions by motor, that the needle tube mouth (9) is moved over a predetermined identification field on the animal skin, and wherein the needles (13) are program-controlled superimposed on a vertical vibration at predetermined locations to be tattooed depending on the symbol to be applied, so that the needle tips from the needle tube mouth (9 ) swing out and penetrate to a certain depth into the animal skin, characterized in that tattoo fluid is pumped through the needle tube (12) from top to bottom in one of its two directions of motion at least during the movement of the needle tube (12), so that the needles (13 ) during this movement of the needle tube (12) forced and permanent are surrounded by tattoo fluid.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the tattoo fluid is conveyed using the mechanical drive for at least one of the directions of movement of the needle tubes (12).

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tattoo fluid is pumped from a bag (3) in an air-free system to the needle tube mouth (9).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) for each tattooing process, the character to be tattooed is entered via a membrane keyboard; b) the animal is shaved at the tattoo site; c) the animal is held under the pen, which triggers a tattooing process; d) the animal is held under the writing attachment (7) during the tattooing process, d) the animal is released, then step a)

Device for carrying out the method, which has at least one needle tube (12) with needles (13) movably guided therein, the needle tube (12) being fastened to a table (23) which can be moved in two horizontal directions by motor, so that the needle tube mouth (9) over a predetermined identification field can be moved on the animal skin, and means (47-49, 56-58) are present in order to superimpose a vertical vibration on the needles (13) in a program-controlled manner at predetermined locations within the identification area to be tattooed, depending on the symbol to be applied, so that swing the needle tips out of the needle tube mouth (9) and penetrate them to a certain depth into the animal skin, characterized in that a pump device (38) is provided, by means of which the tattoo fluid can be pumped through the needle tube (12) from top to bottom, so that the needles (13) are forced and permanently surrounded by tattoo fluid during the pumping

Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that it has a group of ten needle tubes (12) with needles (13) movably guided therein, which are arranged in two superimposed rows, each with five needle ears (12) in corresponding openings (8) in a stationary writing attachment (7) are arranged, which needle tubes (12) with the associated vibrating devices are attached to a disk (23) which can be moved in two horizontal directions, and that two stepping motors, each with a ball screw (27, 31), are provided for moving the disk (23) , one of which is fastened on a stationary disc (21) arranged parallel to the disc (23), and the other on a disc (22) which is arranged parallel and underneath and which is displaceable one-dimensionally to the disc (21), the ball screw (31 ) of the second stepper motor acts on a component (32) which is attached to the two-dimensionally displaceably mounted disc (23)

7. Device according to one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that the pump device (38) consists of at least one tube (41) closed at the end by means of a one-way valve (77-79), which as a piston in a cylinder (76) is retractable, in which a second, directional one-way valve (81) is provided, and that this piston tube (41) is connected to a component (28) which, due to the drive for moving the needle tubes (12), makes a relative movement to another component ( 24) on which the cylinder (76) is mounted

8. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the one-way valves on the piston tube (41) and cylinder (76) are formed by tube tapers (77) which are closed at the end and have at least one radial bore (78), and that a tube section (79) is placed over the tapered surface of the tube, which closes the bores (78) under pressure from the outside and opens under pressure from the inside due to the resulting expansion of the tube section (79).

9. Device according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that a bag (3) is present as a storage container for the tattoo fluid, which is tapped from below by means of a hollow needle (82), so that the tattoo fluid (4) without air needs to flow into the bag, can be drawn into a line system without air, and that the tattoo fluid can be demanded for each needle tube (12) by means of a separate pump device (38) consisting of piston (41) and cylinder (76)

10 Device according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that it has a liquid crystal display as a tattoo (5), and a membrane keyboard (6) for entering the data, such that the inside of the entire device hermetically from Ambient air is closed