IE940321A1 - Non-snagging animal ear tags - Google Patents

Abstract

An ear tag having interfitting male and female parts (5,6) for fixing the tag to an animal's ear, and a strip (1) of flexible soft plastics material having the male part (5) of the tag at one end of the strip without any portion of the strip projecting beyond the male part, and the female part (6) of the tag close to the other end of the strip, wherein the male part comprises a rivet (34) of hard plastics material partly enclosed by a sleeve (32) of soft plastics material moulded around the rivet integrally with the strip, the rivet (34) having a head (37) for piercing an animal's ear and a foot (52) for location in a tagging tool, and wherein the face (59) of the sleeve (32) remote from the strip (1) is tapered towards the foot (52) of the rivet. The strip has a reinforcing throat portion (56) in the region adjacent to the male part (5), the throat portion increasing in thickness towards the male part. The foot (52) of the male part has a circumferential groove (61) for engagement with a tagging tool.

Description

This invention relates to ear tags for animals, particularly for use in marking farm animals in disease eradication programmes or in stock control. The invention is particularly concerned with ear tags having a reduced risk of snagging on wires, baler twine and the like.

Various forms of animal ear tags are commercially available and/or are described in the patent literature. Such tags generally having a fixing device comprising male and female parts, the male part of which is inserted through the animal's ear. The male and female parts may each be attached to a separate plate or tab, or they may be joined by a looped strip. Generally the plate, tab or strip has a flange-like portion which projects beyond the circumference of the male part. Such a projecting portion, when it is on the outside of an animal's ear, can become snagged in a fencing wire or baler twine, including twine in situ on a bale of fodder or twine which has been cut from a bale and has subsequently been caught in a gate or fence. If an ear tag becomes snagged in a wire or twine, the animal may pull its head away so sharply that the ear tag slices through the flesh of the animal's ear and breaks away with the result that the ear tag is lost and the animal is unidentified. Furthermore the wound in the ear may harbour infection. - 2 WO 91/10982 of the present applicants describes an animal ear tag having a chamber inside the male part for receiving a cylindrical electronic responder. The male and female parts are mounted at opposite ends of a looped strip. Figures 7-9 show an embodiment in which the male part of the fixing device comprises a stem consisting of an outer sleeve of soft plastics material formed integrally with the looped strip and an inner tube of relatively hard and rigid plastics material which is housed within the outer sleeve except at the top where the inner tube has a collar extending to form the outer surface of the stem.

The interfitting surfaces of the outer sleeve and the inner tube are provided with key formations of suitable shape to facilitate moulding together of the hard plastics material of the inner tube and the soft plastics material of the outer sleeve and looped strip.

The collar portion near the top of the stem is cylindrical. Below the collar the outer sleeve has a conical surface portion of downwardly increasing diameter, below which again the outer sleeve is cylindrical down to the junction with the lower limb of the looped strip.

The lower end of the stem 30 is completed by an end cap of hard plastics material having the same diameter as the lower cylindrical region of the outer sleeve. Due to the integral moulding of the outer sleeve and the looped strip, there is no overhanging portion of the strip beyond the stem and end cap. This reduces the risk of snagging, as compared to a tag having a flange-like projecting portion.

However the applicants have found that a cylindrical surface may still give rise to some snagging problems if the wire or twine will not slide off it. Furthermore the junction between the outer sleeve and the looped strip of Figure 7 of W0 91/10982 may not have sufficient strength for long-term durability.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems.

The present invention provides an ear tag having interfitting male - 3 and female parts for fixing the tag to an animal's ear, and a strip of flexible soft plastics material having the male part of the tag at one end of the strip without any portion of the strip projecting beyond the male part, and the female part of the tag close to the other end of the strip, wherein the male part comprises a rivet of hard plastics material partly enclosed by a sleeve of soft plastics material moulded around the rivet integrally with the strip, the rivet having a head for piercing an animal's ear and a foot for location in a tagging tool, and wherein the face of the sleeve remote from the strip is tapered towards the foot of the rivet.

Preferably the strip has a reinforcing throat portion in the region adjacent to the male part, the throat portion increasing in thickness towards the male part so that the thickest part defines a junction line with the sleeve.

In the preferred embodiment the sleeve has opposed frusto-conical surfaces tapering in opposite directions from a common line of maximum diameter. Most preferably the line of maximum diameter of the sleeve coincides with the junction line of the throat portion.

In one preferred aspect, the rivet has a series of circumferential ribs and channels on its surface to provide a key for the soft plastics material of the sleeve. More preferably the rivet also has one or more lugs projecting therefrom to enhance the keying effect.

In another preferred aspect, the foot of the male part has a circumferential groove for engagement with a tagging tool.

The strip of soft plastics material may have a waist portion having an area which is of reduced thickness perpendicular to the axis of the strip to facilitate folding of the strip. This reduced thickness portion may take the form of a groove.

The term soft plastics material or softer plastics materials used herein refers generally to a plastics material having a softness and flexibility comparable to that of the plates or tabs of commercially-available ear tags, e.g. a polyurethane such as the - 4 polyesterurethane having Shore-hardness A/D (DIN 53,505) of 92/42 sold by Bayer AG under the Trade Mark DESMOPAN 590. The term hard plastics material or harder plastics material refers generally to a plastics material (most suitably a filled plastics material) having a hardness and rigidity comparable to that of the male part of commercially-available ear tags such as those sold under the Trade Mark DALTON.

The plastics materials used in the male part of an ear tag according to the invention should not inhibit the transmission of electromagnetic waves. Any plastics materials used in the ear tag should be bacteria resistant and resistant to ultra violet light, as is known to those skilled in the art.

The rivet is preferably moulded in the polyetherimide sold under the Trade Mark ULTEM by GE Plastics Limited. Other suitable hard plastics materials include polycarbonate and glass-filled nylon.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of the ear tag, shown in the closed position.

Figure 2 is a projection of the tag, shown in the closed position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of part of the tag in the open position from below in the orientation of figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section of part of the tag, on the line IV - IV in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the male part of the tag in the direction of arrow V in Figure 1.

As shown in the drawings, a tamper proof ear tag comprises a strip 1 of flexible soft plastics material which has a waisted portion 2 at the middle to facilitate folding of the strip into a loop having two limbs 3 and 4. The waisted portion 2 may be of reduced thickness or may have a groove across it, perpendicular to the axis of the strip, so that a line of thinned plastics material is provided. This facilitates folding of the strip so that the limbs 3 and 4 are parallel to one another. - 5 The fixing device comprises a male part 5 mounted at the free end of one limb 3 and a female part defining a round receiver hole 6 close to the free end of the other limb 4.

The male part 5 comprises a stem 30 and a head portion 31. The stem 30 comprises an outer sleeve 32 of soft plastics material formed integrally with the looped strip 1 and a rivet 34 of relatively hard and rigid plastics material such as glass-filled nylon which is partly housed within the outer sleeve 32. Above the outer sleeve the rivet 34 has a collar 35 extending to form the outer surface of the stem 30.

The head portion 31 of the rivet comprises a skirt 50 extending upwardly from the stem 30 and an insertable head 37 with a conical top which is a push fit into the recess defined by the skirt. The head 37 is hard plastics material, such as glass filled nylon, and has a series of external circumferential ribs (not shown) which interact with circumferential grooves (also not shown) on the internal surface of the skirt 50 to retain the head.

Below the head portion 31 of the rivet there is a neck 38 of reduced diameter and a shoulder 39 providing the transition to the collar portion 35. The collar portion 35 has a frusto-conical surface 35a above a cylindrical surface 35b which is useful in locating the rivet in a mould when the soft plastics material of the sleeve 32 is being moulded around it. The rivet defines a cylindrical chamber 14 to receive a cylindrical electronic responder as described in W0 91/10982. In the event that a non-electronic ear tag is required, the responder may be omitted.

The neck portion 38 of the rivet may be formed with a weak point so that it breaks easily when force is applied.

The responder is inserted into the chamber 14 before the head 37 is inserted. A number and/or bar code corresponding to the code generated by the responder will be engraved or printed on the outer surface of one or both limbs.

Below the collar portion the rivet 34 has a cylindrical body portion 51 surrounding the chamber 14, and a foot portion 52 which - 6 closes the bottom of the chamber 14 and extends to the base of the stem. The cylindrical body portion 51 has a series of external circumferential ribs 53 and channels 54 therebetween.

At diametrically opposed locations, there are two lugs 55 of cylindrical cross-section projecting from the body portion. When the rivet 34 is being manufactured by moulding in a vertically split mould, the lugs 55 are formed on the split line of the mould. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) there are additional lugs which are positioned at 90° to the split line.

The rivet 34 of hard plastics material is held in the sleeve 32 of relatively soft plastics material (e.g. Desmopan 590 from Bayer AG) which has been moulded around the rivet integrally with the strip 1 so that the soft plastics material flows around the lugs 55 and into the channels 54 so that the sleeve 32 is keyed to the rivet 34. The strip has a reinforcing throat portion 56 (see Figure 4) which increases in thickness towards the sleeve 32.

The sleeve 32 has a frusto-conical shape following on from that of the collar portion 35, so that the male part is generally frusto-conical from the shoulder 39 down to the junction line 58 at the top of the reinforcing throat portion 56 which is the line of greatest diameter of the male part.

Below the junction line 58, the leading edge of the sleeve 32 is tapered inwardly and downwardly in a part-conical surface 59 (see Figures 1, 2 and 5). When the tag is applied to an animal's ear, the male part will generally be encased in the flesh of the ear as far as the junction line 58. Any wire or twine which engages against the sleeve 32 below the line 58 will slide off due to the frusto-conical shape.

A circumferential groove 61 is recessed into the foot portion 52 of the rivet. As shown, the lower lip of the groove may be chamfered. The mouth of the groove is of such small width that the risk of a wire or twine becoming snagged in it is negligible. The groove 61 cooperates - 7 with a projection on a tagging tool (not shown) to locate the ear tag in the tool.

The female part of the fixing device is similar to that described in WO 91/10982. The receiver hole 6 is enclosed by a frusto-conical protective cap 45 moulded integrally with the strip 1. Inside the cap 45 there is located a domed split washer or speed clip or Starlock washer 26 of resilient material, suitably metal. Other forms of annular non-return clip or split collar may also be used. The washer or clip has its perimeter embedded in the plastics material of the cap 45 and/or the strip 1, most suitably by moulding the plastics material around the washer or clip in situ. The washer or clip may have an upturned perimeter (see Figure 1) to enhance the embedding effect. As shown the cap 45 may be penetrated by vent passages 46 to allow air and/or flesh to escape from inside the cap when the tag is being applied.

The tag is applied in the same manner as described in WO 91/10982. The head 37 pierces the flesh of the animal's ear and enters into the receiver hole 6. The head portion 31 is forced through the washer or clip 26. The leaves of the washer or clip 26 then engage the rivet in the reduced diameter region of the neck 38.

If desired, the limb 3 of the strip may be of reduced width as compared to limb 4. For example, the width of limb 3 may be equal to or less than the width of the waisted portion 2, provided that the width of limb 3 is not less than that of the throat portion 56.

In this description and in the claims, the terms up, down, upper, lower and the like refer to the ear tag as disposed in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings. In use, the tag would be applied through part of an animal's ear with the male part generally horizontal and the female part at the inner face of the ear.

Claims (5)

1. An ear tag having interfitting male and female parts for fixing the tag to an animal's ear, and a strip of flexible soft plastics material having the male part of the tag at one end of the strip without any portion of the strip projecting beyond the male part, and the female part of the tag close to the other end of the strip, wherein the male part comprises a rivet of hard plastics material partly enclosed by a sleeve of soft plastics material moulded around the rivet integrally with the strip, the rivet having a head for piercing an animal's ear and a foot for location in a tagging tool, and wherein the face of the sleeve remote from the strip is tapered towards the foot of the rivet.

2. An ear tag according to Claim 1 wherein the strip has a reinforcing throat portion in the region adjacent to the male part, the throat portion increasing in thickness towards the male part.

3. An ear tag according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the sleeve has opposed frusto-conical surfaces tapering in opposite directions from a common line of maximum diameter.

4. An ear tag according to any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the foot of the male part has a circumferential groove for engagement with a tagging tool.

5. An ear tag substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.