GB2160153A

GB2160153A - Tags for animals

Info

Publication number: GB2160153A
Application number: GB08415028A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Winters
Original assignee: DALTON SUPPLIES Ltd
Current assignee: DALTON SUPPLIES Ltd
Priority date: 1984-06-13
Filing date: 1984-06-13
Publication date: 1985-12-18
Also published as: DE8508317U1; GB8415028D0; GB2160153B

Abstract

A tag eg for an ear of an animal has two tabs (F and M) interconnected by a spike penetrating bores in the tabs, the bores being resiliently expanded by passage of a head of the spike, and the spike carrying a formation, eg an annular protrusion between the head and foot, which coacts with the bore to key one or both of the tabs to the spike without necessarily preventing relative rotation. Thus, the protrusion is an interface fit in the resiliently expandable bore(s). The foot of the spike is preferably received in a wider bore in member M. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tags and components thereof This invention relates to tags for use in any suitable tagging application, e.g. in tagging an animal, for instance a bird, a cattle beast, a fish, a goat, a horse, a sheep, or a pig.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a tag (preferably an eartag), comprising: (a) a plastics female tab having first and second opposite faces (herein called female faces), said first female face having a first aperture of a first bore, said second female face having a second aperture of said first bore, such that this bore communicates between said female faces; (b) a plastics male tab having first and second opposite faces (herein called male faces), said first male face having a first aperture of a second bore, said second male face having a second aperture of said second bore, such that this bore communicates between said male faces, said second bore being a stepped bore comprising:: (i) in said first male face, a first bore portion, this portion being a socket for a foot of a spike; (ii) inwardly from said first bore portion, a second bore portion enabling communication with the second aperture of said second bore, said second bore portion being narrower than said first bore portion;; (c) a spike comprising a shank interconnecting a head and a foot respectively at opposite ends of said shank, said head being narrower than said first bore portion but wider than said second bore portion, such that when sufficient force is applied to at least said foot, said head will resiliently deform said second bore portion so as to enable said head to pass therethrough and emerge from the second aperture of said second bore, said foot and said socket being inter-related such that said foot can be seated in said socket, said emerged head being passable through taggable material when sufficient force is applied to at least said foot so that said head that has emerged from said taggable material will resiliently deform said female tab sufficiently to enable said head to enter the second aperture of said first bore, pass through that bore, and then emerge from the first aperture of said first bore, said head then being able to abut said first female tab so as to fix said tag to said taggable material, said shank having at least one key means projecting from said shank so as to key said shank in a said tab (preferably said male tab) while said foot is seated in said socket, at least one said key means optionally being able to key into the wall of a said second bore portion.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a said female tab.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a said male tab.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a said spike.

A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a method of fixing a tag to taggable material, wherein said method comprises utilising a tag according to said first aspect of the invention.

Any said tag should be made from material(s) suitable for any intended application of said tag.

Such materials can be chosen to have any suitable properties, e.g. resiliency appropriate to said resilient deformation, to cleanliness, durability, weight, or water proofness. Preferably, any said tab comprises suitable resilient plastics material(s), e.g.

polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylchloride, polyurethane, or other suitable synthetic polymer(s). Any said tab can have any suitable appearance,e.g. shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, colour, or texture. The appearance of any said tab can be identification signification, e.g. comprise colour and/or indicia (e.g.

number and/or letter) and/or other coding, providing e.g. by embossing, engraving, moulding, or stamping. Preferably, any said tab is elongate from the location of its said bore, i.e. such a bore then defines an end region of that tab. Because the bores and the spike can thereby be offset from the centres of such tabs, this offset is preferably sufficient to aid rotation movement (which is preferred) of the tabs relative to the spike, e.g. so as to aid deflection of a said tab when obstructed by an obstacle (e.g. a hedge) and/or aid release of that tab from said obstacle. Preferably, any said tab is sufficiently bendable to flex easily if obstructed by said obstacle. Preferably, any said tab is substantially planar.In general, any said tab can have any suitable outline, e.g. have at least one set of parallel edges, or at least one set of converging opposite edges, or at least one curvature (e.g. an arcuate shape). A preferred shape for a said tab is one that lies or tends to lie substantially flat against suitable taggable material, e.g. against adjacent animal ear material.

Said first bore can be a stepped bore compris ing: (i) in said first female face, a first bore portion, this portion being a socket for at least a portion of said head; (ii) inwardly from said first bore portion in said first female face, a second bore portion enabling communication with the second aperture of said first bore, that second bore portion being narrower than that first bore portion.

Thus, when said female tab has a stepped bore just mentioned, said female tab can be a tab that is identical with the tab constituting said male tab.

When there is a said stepped first bore, said head can abut against tab material surrounding said second bore portion of that bore, said head then being at least partly seated in said socket in said first female face.

Preferably, any said stepped bore of a said female or male tab has coaxial said first and second bore portions. Preferably, the step constituting the interconnection between those first and second bore portions provides an abutment at the inner end of said first bore portion, that abutment preferably being substantially 90" to the axis of that first bore portion. Preferably, said first and second bore portions are concentric, preferably circular in cross section, and preferably substantially uniform in cross section along their axial directions.

Said second female face, or said second male face, can comprise an optional projection thereof (e.g. a boss) containing the second aperture of said first or second bore as the case may be. Such a projection can reinforce that aperture when it is to cooperate with an optional hard shoulder of said head so as to provide a firm cutting or other shearing action of suitable taggable material when said head enters that aperture. Preferably,said projection has a circular cross section to provide a circular annulus or wall around a circular said second aperture.Preferably, the exterior root portion of said projection (preferably said boss) is reinforced by material diverging from that projection and interconnecting it with a portion of said face, e.g. an integral fillet of tab material can provide a reinforcement skirt to the exterior of said boss, that skirt having any suitable outline, e.g. curved and/or straight. Said projection from said second female face or from said second male face can serve other purpose(s), e.g. act as an anchorage for guiding, holding, or positioning said tab(s) during application of aid force to said spike, e.g. such anchorages can receive respective holding arms of a tag applicator identified later below.

Said spike should be made from material(s) suitable for any intended application of said tag. Such materials can be chosen to have any suitable properties, e.g. rigidity relative to said tabs, cleanliness, durability, weight, or water proofness. Preferably, said spike comprises suitable rigid plastics mate rial(s), e.g. a suitable nylon. A suitable metal spike would be of e.g. stainless steel. Preferably, said spike is made of synthetic polymeric material(s).

Said spike can have any suitable appearance,e.g.

shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, colour, or texture. The appearance can have identification signification, e.g. comprise colour and/or indicia (e.g. number and/or letter) and/or other coding, provided e.g. by embossing, engraving, moulding, or stamping. Preferably, said spike is substantially solid (e.g. completely solid) throughout, and thereby will not require any reinforcement pin to be provided therein to give suitable rigidity to the shanke of said spike. Preferably, the axis of said shank will be substantially 90" relative to a said planar male or female tab.

The shape of said head of the spike will be ap propriate to said resilient deformation of tabs. The shape of said head will be appropriate to whether or not it is to make a bore in taggable ear material (e.g. an animal's ear flap). When such a bore is to be made by said head, said head should produce a sufficiently clean bore in taggable material when that material is living animal material and thereby reduce risk of necrosis and so as to aid healing.

Punching of taggable material can comprise utilis ing an optional hard shoulder at the rear of said head. This shoulder will cooperate with the edge of the second aperture of said first bore in the female tab such that e.g. ear material pushed into that tab's bore by said head will be sheared from the ear. Preferably, said head has a suitably sharp point when such a point is useful for the action of said head, e.g. a sharp head capable of piercing taggable material. Preferably, said head at least partly converges in its forward direction, e.g. said head can have an arcuate, conical, elliptical, pointed, tapering, or other convering shape. Preferably, that convergence is smooth.

The shape of said foot and the shape of said socket in said first male face are related to each other. Preferably, the shape of said foot is disclike defined by preferably a circumferential projection around the corresponding end of said shank. The corresponding preferred socket then corresponds to that disclike shape, preferably such that the foot when seated in said socket has an external surface substantially flush (e.g. wholly flush) with said first male face, and preferably such that said seated foot is a snug fit in said socket. Preferably, the cooperation between said foot and said socket prevents or contributes to preventing pivoting of said shank relative to said male tab when said foot is properly seated in said socket. Thus, preferably that cooperation does not constitute a universal joint.But, preferably that cooperation will enable rotation of said male tab around the axis of said shank.

Preferably, said at least one key means of said spike will allow rotation of said male tab around the axis of said shank. At least one said key means can be a projection (e.g. a circumferential ridge) on the exterior of said shank. Said projection can have any suitable cross section transverse to the axis of said shank. Preferably, said projection is in a plane substantially 90" relative to the axis of said shank.

Preferably, at least one said key means will be an interference or other engagement fit in material of said male tab, preferably in the wall of said second bore portion of that tab. Preferably, that fit is created by inserting said spike substantially axially through said male tab. That insertion can comprise some rotational movemement of said spike if e.g.

at least one key means comprises at least a portion of an optional thread (which is another example of a key) on said shank. Optionally, at least one said key means will prevent or contribute to preventing pivoting of said shank relative to said male tab when said foot is properly seated in said socket of said male tab, preferably when at least one said key means is keyed in said second bore portion of said male tab.

Optionally, said spike (e.g. said shank) can be provided with at least one further key means, this key means being for keying said shank into mate rial of said female tab. Such a key means can be constituted in the same manner as said first kind of key means (which is for said male tab). Optionally, said female tab can be at least partly moveable along the axis of said shank (e.g. by sliding) after said head has suitably penetrated said female tab.

It will be appreciated that any key way for a said key means can be generated by that key means or be performed. If desired, a said key means and a preformed said key way can provide a snap en gagement fit of said key means with that key way, e.g. an annular recess can be provided in the stepped bore of a said male tab so as to enable said snap engagement.

When said tag is complete, the distance between said female tab and said male tab should be sufficient not to compress (or tend not to compress) sensitive taggable material (e.g. ear material) therebetween, and be sufficent to allow circulation of air around e.g. adjacent ear material. Any said tab is preferably rotatable relative to said spike. Such rotation is convenient for ears of e.g. farm animals.

The tabs when suitably shaped can lie within the outline of an ear flap. An eartag should allow sufficient room for an ear to grow if ear curl is not to be produced by action of the eartag.

The applicator pliers mentioned in the description below of the accompanying drawings is described and claimed in our copending UK patent application no. 8415026, our ref. P.2252. All of the contents of that application are to be regarded as being imported into the present application.

In the accompanying drawings, which exemplify one embodiment of the present invention: Figure 1 shows a first face of a tab suitable for providing a female or male tab in an eartag; Figure 2 shows a second face of the tab of Fig.

1; Figure 3 shows a schematic sectional side view of the tab of Figs. 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows a spike for insertion into a female tab and a male tab corresponding to two tabs of Figs. 1 to 3; Figure 5 shows the spike of Fig. 4 partly inserted into the male tab of Fig. 4; Figure 6 shows a schematic sectional fragmentary side view of the foot of the spike of Fig. 4 when properly seated in the male tab, and also the keying of the shank of that spike into that tab; Figure 7 shows the completed eartag.

In Figs. 1 to 3, a bendable tab T of suitably resilient plastics material (e.g. of polyurethane) has first and second opposite faces 1, 2 respectively. Face 1 is a first female face or a first male face depending on whether or not tab T is utilised as a female or male tab in the eartag (see below). Face 2 is similarly a second female face or a second male face, and has a boss 3. Communicating between the free end of boss 3 and the first face 1 is a stepped bore 4,5 having coaxial concentric circular bore portions, i.e.: (i) in face 1, a first bore portion 4 that is a socket for the foot of a spike (see below), and is narrower than boss 3; and (ii) inwardly from first bore portion 4, a second bore portion 5 extending from within the planar region of tab T to the free end of boss 3, bore portion 5 being narrower than bore portion 4.

The exterior root of boss 3 has an integral reinforcement fillet 6. Tab T's outline has a chamfer 7 and round corners to aid deflection and/or freeing from an obstacle encounterable by a beast having the eartag.

In Fig. 4 is shown a completely solid nylon spike 11 that is hard relative to tab T, and comprises a shank 12 interconnecting and integral with head 13 and disc foot 14. Head 13 is narrower than first bore portion 4 but is wider than second bore portion 5, such that when sufficient force is applied to at least foot 14 (e.g. by a pliers releasably containing the eartag) head 13 will resiliently deform second bore portion 5 so as to enable head 13 to pass therethrough and emerge from boss 3 of male tab M (Figs. 5, 6) constituted by a tab T. Foot 14 and first bore portion 4 are inter-related such that foot 14 can be seated snugly in that portion. Head 13 after emergence from boss 3 of male tab M can pass through taggable ear material 30 (Fig. 7), when sufficient force is applied to the foot 14 (e.g.

by a said pliers). That force can cause head 13 to emerge from the ear material and resiliently deform a female tab F (Fig. 7) constituted by a tab T so as to enable head 13 to enter second bore portion 5 (via boss 3) of that tab, and then pass through the stepped bore in that tab and emerge from first bore portion 4 in face 1 of that tab, the head 13 then being able to abut material of the step defined by transition between those bore portions, so as to fix the eartag to the ear. The applicator pliers can be opened so as to remove them from the fixed eartag.

Spike head 13 has a sharply convergent tip 15 of conical shape having an included angle of substantially 60 . The rear of the tip ends in an annular collar 16 constituting a hard leading shoulder 17, as a punch, such that the diameter of collar 16 defines the base of tip 15. Shoulder 17 coacts with the exterior edge of second bore portion 5 in boss 3 of female tab F so as to punch out ear material urged into that portion by motion of head 13. The punched ear material will be pushed along the stepped bore 5,6 by head 13, and can be collected in an optional recess (e.g. bore or cavity) in a respective jaw of said pliers or be expelled from e.g.

a bore in that head upon sufficient closure of the jaws of said pliers.

Shank 12 has an annular key 18 constituted by a rounded circular ridge extending around and integral with the circular exterior of shank 12, shank 12, head 13, and foot 14 having circular cross secitons. Key 18 will be an interference engagement fit in second bore portion 5 when foot 14 is properly seated in first bore portion 4 and thereby enable key 18 to generate its corresponding keyway in second bore portion 5 by deformation of that portion. The profile and fit of key 18 resist axial withdrawal of shank 12 but allow the keyed male tab to rotate relative to shank 12 when that tab if deflected by said obstacle. Key 18 can also resist pivoting of shank 12 relative to the keyed male tab is that resistance is required.

Shank 12 can have an optional annular key 19, similar to key 18 but for keying into material of the female tab, e.g. by interference engagement fit.

The profile and fit of key 19 resist axial withdrawal of shank 12 but allow the keyed female tab to rotate relative to shank 12 when that tab is deflected by said obstacle. Key 19 can also resist pivoting of shank 12 relative to the keyed female tab if that resistance is required.

An optional circumferential reinforcement fillet 20 integral with shank 12 and foot 14 is provided.

An alternative is a junction of substantially 90D be tween shank 12 and foot 14.

The present invention includes equivalents and modifications, e.g. the disclosures with reference to the accompanying drawings can be modified in accordance with the disclosures given above before the first reference to those drawings.

Claims

1. A tag, comprising: (a) a plastics female tab having first and second opposite faces (herein called female faces), said first female face having a first aperture of a first bore, said second female face having a second aperture of said first bore, such that this bore communicates between said female faces; (b) a plastics male tab having first and second opposite faces (herein called male faces), said first male face having a first aperture of a second bore, said second male face having a second aperture of said second bore, such that this bore communicates between said male faces, said second bore being a stepped bore comprising:: (i) in said first male face, a first bore position, this portion being a socket for a foot of a spike; (ii) inwardly from said first bore portion, a second bore portion enabling communication with the second aperture of said second bore, said second bore portion being narrower than said first bore portion;; (c) a spike comprising a shank interconnecting a head and a foot respectively at opposite ends of said shank, said head being narrower than said first bore portion but wider than said second bore portion, such that when sufficient force is applied to at least said foot, said head will resiliently deform said second bore portion so as to enable said head to pass therethrough and emerge from the second aperture of said second bore, said foot and said socket being inter-related such that said foot can be seated in said socket, said emerged head being passable through taggable material when sufficient force is applied to at least said foot so that said head that has emerged from said taggable material will resiliently deform said female tab sufficiently to enable said head to enter the second aperture of said first bore, pass through that bore, and then emerge from the first aperture of said first bore, said head than being able to abut said first female tab so as to fix said tag to said taggable material, said shank having at least one key means projecting from said shank so as to key said shank in a said tab while said foot is seated in said socket.

2. A tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one said tab is rotatable relative to said spike.

3. A tag as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said first bore is a stepped bore comprising: (i) in said first female face, a first bore portion, this portion being a socket for at least a portion of said head; (ii) inwardly from said first bore portion is said first female face, a second bore portion enabling communication with the second aperture of said first bore, that second bore portion being narrower than that first bore portion.

4. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said second female face comprises a boss containing the second aperture of said first bore.

5. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said second male face comprises a boss containing the second aperture of said second bore.

6. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said shank comprises a single said key means projecting from said shank.

7. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said shank comprises a plurality of said key means projecting from said shank.

8. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said shank comprises at least one said key means for keying or keyed into the wail of a said second bore portion.

9. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one said key means is constituted by a circumferential ridge on the exterior of said shank.

10. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein cooperation between said foot and said socket prevents or contributes to preventing pivoting of said shank relative to said male tab when said foot is properly seated in said socket, that cooperation enabling rotation of said male tab around the axis of said shank.

11. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one said key means will generate, or has generated, a corresponding key way in a said tab.

12. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, when an eartag.

13. A tag as claimed in claim 12, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.