IE57144B1 - Tags and components thereof - Google Patents

Description

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· The present invention provides a tag, comprising: f (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 steppedbore 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 interrelated such that said foot V 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 ma-crial 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 comprising at least one key means projecting from said shank so as to key into the wall of jaid second bore portion while said foot is seated in said socket· At least one said key means may generate, or has generated, a corresponding key way in the wall of said second bore portion· At least one said key means may be constituted by a circumferential ridge on the exterior of said shank· There may be a single said key means.

At least one said cab may be rotatable relative to said spike· Cooperation between said foot and said socket may prevent or contribute to prevent pivoting of said shank relative to sail male tab when said foot is properly seated in saii socket, that cooperation enabling rotation of said male tab around the axis of said shank. Said first bore may be 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 in said first female face, a second bore portion enabling jO communication with the second aperture of said first bore, that second bore portion being narrower 4, than that first bore portion.

Said second female face may comprise a boss containing the second aperture of said first bore. Said second J5 male face may comprise a boss containing the second aperture of said first bore. A preferred tag is an eartag.

Any said tan should be made from materisl(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)y , 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 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, any said tab is elongate from the location of its raid bore, i.e. such a bore then - defines an end r-jgicn of that tab. Because the bores and the spike car. thereby be offset from the centres of such tab3, tnin offset is preferably sufficient to aid rotation movement (which is preferred) of the tats relative to the spike, e.g. c r- as tc 9id 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 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· ‘ V 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 13 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. V . i •J 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, cr positioning said tab(s) during application of said 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 material(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 substan tially 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 appropriate 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 bote 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 utilising 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 ’.ead 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 i3 smooth. nhe 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 movement 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 material 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 preformed. If desired, a said key means and a preformed said key way can provide a snap engagement 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 sufficient 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 foi' an ear to grow if ear curl is not to be produced by action of the eartag.

The applicator plierr mentioned in the description below of the ccompanying drawings is described and claimed in patent no.

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: Fig. 1 sho-.

Fig. 2 shows a second face of the tab of Fig· l; Fig· 5 shows a schematic sectional side view of the tab of Figs. 1 and 2; t Fig. 4 shows a spike for insertion into a female tab and a male tab corresponding to two tabs of Figs. 1 to }; Fig. 5 shows the spike of Fig. 4 partly inserted into the male tab of Fig. 4; Fig. 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; Fig. 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). F ;.ce 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 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 jo (ii) inwardly from first bore portion 4, a second bore portion 5 extending from within the planar region of tab I to the free end of boss 3* bore portion 3 being narrower than bore portion 4. 4 The exterior root of boss 3 has an integral reinforce35 ment 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 15 and disc foot 14. Head 15 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 15 will resiliently deform second box'e portion 5 so as to enable head 13 to pass therethrough and emerge from boss 3 of a male tab Μ ( Figs. 5 ,6) constituted by a tab T.

Foot 14 and first bore portion 4 are inter-related such k that foot 14 can be seated snugly in that portion.

Head 15 after emergence from boss 3 of male tab M can pass through taggable ear material JO ( 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 13i 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 jL2·, head 13i and foot 14 having circular cross sections. 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 j 10 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 is deflected by said obstacle. Key 18 can also 1? resist pivoting of shank 12 relative to the keyed male tab if 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 90? between 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 J with the disclosures given above before the first reference to those drawings.

Claims (11)

Claims 1. (1) in said first female face, a first bore portion, this portion being a socket for at least a portion of said head; 35 (li) 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 firet bore portion·

1. A tag, comprising: (a) a plastics female tab having first and second opposite faces (herein called female faces), said first

2. A tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one said key means will generate, or has generated, a corresponding key way in the wall of said second bore portion. 15

3. A tag as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one said key means is constituted by a circumferential ridge on the exterior of said shank.

4. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3> wherein there is a single said key means. 20 5. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one said tab is rotatable relative to said spike.

5. Wherein said second female face comprises a boss containing the second aperture of eaid firet bore· 5 bore, said head then being able to abut said first female tab so as to fix said tag to aaid taggable material, said shank comprising at least one key means projecting from said shank so as to key into the wall of said second bore portion while said foot is seated in 5 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

6. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5» wherein cooperation between said foot and said socket 25 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. JO

7. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said first bore is a stepped bore comprising:

8. · A tag as claimed in any one cf claims 1 to 7,

9. · A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said second male face comprises a boss containing the second aperture of said second bore·

10. 10. A tag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, when an eartag· 10 said socket. 10 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 15 comprising: (i) in raid fire;;. male face, a first bore portion, this portion beiu.r a socket for a foot of a spike; (ii) inwardly from said first bore portion, a second bore portion enabling communication with the 20 second aperture cf said second bore, said second bore portion being narrower than 3aid first bore portion; (c) a spike comprising a shank interconnecting a head and a foot respectively at opposite ends of said shank, 25 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 30 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 35 that said head that has emerged from said taggable i14 material will resiliently deform said female tab sufficiently to enable said bead to enter the second aperture of said first bore, pass through that bore, and then emerge from the first aperture of said first

11. · A tag as claimed in claim 10, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs· 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings·