WO1995004455A1

WO1995004455A1 - Non-snagging animal ear tags

Info

Publication number: WO1995004455A1
Application number: PCT/IE1994/000042
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rodney Arthur Stafford; Michael Maxwell Kilroy
Original assignee: Rodney Arthur Stafford; Michael Maxwell Kilroy
Priority date: 1993-08-11
Filing date: 1994-08-11
Publication date: 1995-02-16
Also published as: IE940321A1; AU7391294A

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 male part (5) 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 male part (5). 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. A cap (145) which receives the head portion (31) of the male part has a crown (71) which is rigid and/or frangible. The rivet (34) may house an electronic responder in a chamber (14) or it may be solid.

Description

NON-SNAGGING ANIMAL EAR TAGS

Technical field

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.

Background Art

Various forms of animal ear tags are commercially available and/or are described in the patent literature. Such tags generally have 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 twine, including baler 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.

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 wire or twine will not slide off it. Furthermore the junction between the outer sleeve and the looped strip of Figure 7 of WO 91/10982 may not have sufficient strength for long-term durability.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems. It is a further object of the invention to provide ear tags which are resistant to tampering and/or which make it evident to inspection that tampering has been attempted.

The present invention provides an ear tag comprising 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 mounted therein at one end of the strip without any portion of the strip projecting beyond the male part, and having the female part of the tag therein 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 male part 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 male part.

The ear tag of the invention is intended to be fixed to an animal's ear in such a manner that the foot of the male part is on the outside of the ear. The absence of any strip portion projecting beyond the male part and the tapered surface of the face of the sleeve remote from the strip allows wire or twine to slide off the tag without snagging.

Preferably the head and/or the foot are on 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. This strengthens the integration of the male part into the strip.

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.

According to one aspect of the invention, which itself amounts to a separate invention, the female part of the tag includes a cap which receives the head of the male part when the parts are interfitted, and the cap has a crown portion which is not resiliently deformable. It is to be understood that while the crown may have some minimal level of resilient deformability it should not be resiliently deformable to a significant extent. The crown portion is aligned with the head of the rivet and if an attempt is made to push the rivet out of engagement with the female part by pressing on the crown portion, the crown portion should either resist deformation (in which case tampering is prevented) or it should be permanently deformed, e.g. by indentation, or it should break, (with the result that visible evidence is provided of the tampering). A cap with a flexible crown portion, particularly of soft plastics material, may flex to allow pressure to be applied to the head of the male part (to an extent sufficient to unseat the head of the male part from the female part) and then resile back to its rest position. The crown portion may be rigid and/or frangible. Preferably the cap comprises a housing of soft plastics material moulded integrally with the strip and an insert of rigid and/or brittle material which provides the crown portion. More particularly, the insert is of brittle plastics material having a different colour from that of the soft plastics material of the housing, or is of metal, preferably stainless steel.

In one preferred embodiment, the crown portion is perforated by holes.

The strip of soft plastics material may have a portion which is of reduced thickness (i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the strip) equidistant from the male and female parts. This facilitates folding of the strip to form a looped ear tag, and it also provides a weakened region in the tag. A looped ear tag is advantageous as compared to a tag having two separate plates or buttons because a length of wire or twine which is anchored at both ends can become snagged behind one of the plates or buttons, leading to the tag being torn out of the animal's ear, whereas a closed loop prevents this. However in the event (which is more unlikely) of a prong such as a short length of bull wire with a free end entering inside the loop and getting caught there, the presence of a weakened region at the hinge of the loop should allow the strip to break rather than to be pulled out of the ear.

The weakening of the strip-at the hinge of the loop may be further enhanced by moulding the strip in a mould with two gates, one for each limb of the strip, so that the plastics material flowing from two directions meets in the hinge region but does not bond as strongly together as the plastics material in a single flow.

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 comrnercially available ear tags, e.g. a polyurethane elastomer such as the 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 (including a filled plastics material) which is stiff and rigid, and comparable to that which is used in the male part of commercially-available ear tags such as those sold under the Trade

Mark DALTON. More preferably it should have a high tensile strength at yield, e.g. of the order of 100 N/mm (ASTM D638)or higher, and a

2 high rigidity, e.g. a flexural modulus of the order of 3300 N/mrn (ASTM D790) or higher.

The rivet is preferably moulded in a polyetherimide such as that sold under the Trade Mark ULTEM by GE Plastics Limited. Other suitable hard plastics materials include polycarbonate or glass-filled nylon, particularly 30% glass-filled nylon 6, or glass-fibre reinforced polyester such as the 45% glass-fibre reinforced polyester sold by Bayer AG under the Trade Mark P0CAN.

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.

Two of the embodiments described herein have an electronic responder housed within the male part of the tag. However the present invention may also be used in an ear tag having an electronic device mounted elsewhere in the tag, for example in the cap, in the strip, particularly the throat portion thereof, or in the limb adjacent to the female part of the tag.

Brief Description of Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section (on the centre line of the strip) of the first embodiment of the ear tag, shown in the closed position. Figure 2 is a projection of the tag of figure 1, shown in the closed position.

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

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section of part of the tag, showing the male part on the line IV - IV in figure 1 and part of the strip in unfolded postion.

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

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section of a second embodiment of ear tag, shown in the closed portion, similar to figure 1.

Figure 7 is a projection of the second embodiment, similar to figure 2. Figure 8 is an elevation of the male part of the tag, shown in the direction of arrow VIII in figure 6, similar to figure 5. Figure 9 is a plan view of part of the tag in the open position, seen from above in the orientation of figure 6.

Figures 10-13 are projections of four forms of cap insert for use in the second embodiment of figures 6-9.

Figure 14 is a projection of portion of a tagging tool, showing the seat for the ear tag of figures 6-9.

Figure 15 is a vertical cross section of a third embodiment of ear tag, shown in the closed position, similar to figures 1 and 6.

Modes for Carrying out the Invention

As shown in Figures 1-5 an 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 and provides a weak point in the strip.

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 (e.g. ULTEM from GE Plastics Limited) 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 of hard plastics material, 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 and the rivet may be solid, with an integral head portion.

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 may 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 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 may be additional lugs which are positioned at 90° to the split line of the mould.

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 (i.e. the face remote from the looped strip or the face which does not meet the strip) is tapered inwardly and downwardly in a part-conical surface 59 (see Figures 1, 2 and 5) which extends for approximately 180 degrees of the circumference of the sleeve (see figure 3), back to the junction with the lower limb 3 of the strip. The male part is at the end of the strip and there is no portion of the strip projecting beyond the male part i.e. in the direction facing away from the looped strip. 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 and the limb 3 will be at the outside of the ear. Any wire or twine which engages against the sleeve 32 below the line 58 w ll 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 with a projection on a tagging tool (see figure 14) 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 W0 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.

The second embodiment shown in figures 6-9 is generally similar to the first embodiment of figures 1-5 and the"same reference numerals are used for similar parts. The strip 1 of flexible soft plastics material has a waisted portion 2 which is of reduced width and thickness as compared to the limbs 3 and 4, to facilitate folding of - li ¬

the strip into a loop having the two limbs 3 and 4 parallel to one another and to provide a weakened region for the reasons already explained. The weakest point is at the line 69 where the flows of plastics material from two directions have met.

The collar portion 135 of the rivet has a frusto-conical surface and does not have a cylindrical surface portion such as that shown at 35b in figure 1. The frusto-conical surface engages in a corresponding internal surface of a mould which results in elimination of the occurence of "flashing" during moulding of the soft plastics material.

Likewise the frusto-conical surface of the part 95 of the foot portion 152 above the groove 161 cooperates with a corresponding mould surface. Thus the rivet 34 when located in a mould defines and limits the extent of flow of soft plastics material at the top and bottom of the sleeve 32.

The foot portion 152 of the rivet below the groove 161 has a cylindrical surface (instead of the frusto-conical surface of the foot portion 52 in figure 1) in order to improve stability of engagement between the foot portion and a recess in an applicator tool (see figure 14). A circumferential groove 161 has parallel walls (instead of a chamfered lip as in the groove 61 in figure 1).

The protective cap 145 of soft plastics material surrounding the receiver hole 6 in the female part houses a frangible insert 70 of brittle plastics material such as general purpose polystyrene or crystal polystyrene. The insert 70, shown more particularly in figure 10, has the general shape of a hat with a frangible disc-shaped crown 71 at the top, a frusto-conical side wall 72 and a brim 73 at the bottom. The brim 73 sits in contact with the resilient washer or "speed clip" 26, the side wall 72 lies inside the wall of the cap 145 and the crown 71 is exposed and effectively forms the top of the cap. The crown 71 may be flat or concave.

As shown in figures 6, 7, 9 and 10, the crown 71 is perforated by three holes 74, spaced equiangularly around the crown (in figure 6, two of the holes are shown for convenience, although only one would normally be visible on the cross-section line). The holes 74 make the crown 71 more liable to fracture if pressure is applied to the crown. They also allow circulation of air inside the cap 145 to inhibit necrosis from suppuration of the hole in the animal's flesh made by the rivet penetrating the ear.

The crown 71 of the insert is liable to fracture if an attempt is made to tamper with the closed tag by pressing the crown to force the rivet downwardly. Fracture of the crown 71 is readily visible to the eye, so that an attempt to tamper with the tag becomes evident on inspection. If desired, the insert 70 may be made of plastics material which is a different colour to that of the cap 145 (and the strip 1) so that fracture of the crown 71 is readily visible.

In manufacturing the tag, the insert 70 is placed at one end of a mould and the washer or "speed-clip" 26 is located on top of it. The rivet 5 is mounted at the other end of the mould. The soft plastics material is then moulded around the insert 70, washer 26 and rivet 5 in situ. No separate means for locating the washer 26 in the mould is required.

In the embodiment of figure 1, holes 46 in the cap are useful for providing entry of locating means to hold the washer 26 during moulding. This is not necessary with the insert 70. Figure 11 shows an alternative form of insert 70 without holes 74 in the crown 71. The crown is sufficiently thin and brittle to shatter when deliberate pressure is applied to it and fracture occurs most readily between the holes.

Figures 12 and 13 show further variations of the insert as illustrated in figures 10 and 11. In these embodiments, the insert does not have a continuous side wall 72 but has three legs 75 connecting the crown 71 with the brim 73. The legs which are spaced equiangularly around the insert support the crown 71 at three places only, and therefore render it more prone to fracture when pressure is applied. As shown, the legs are placed radially outwardly of the holes 74.

In alternative embodiments of the invention, the insert 70 may be formed of metal instead of brittle plastics material. The insert may take any of the forms shown in figures 10-13. If the crown portion 71 is of a brittle metal alloy and is sufficiently thin to fracture under applied pressure, it will form a frangible crown comparable to that of the brittle plastics material. Alternatively, if the crown 71 is of tough metal such as stainless steel, it will either resist deformation (in which case tampering by means of pressure on the crown is prevented) or it will be permanently deformed, e.g. by indentation, in which case visual evidence of tampering will be provided.

Figure 14 shows in diagrammatic form an end portion of an applicator tool which is designed to receive the foot portion 152 of the rivet when the tag is being applied to an animal's ear. One arm 80 of the tool has a top surface 81 on which limb 3 of the tag is placed. At the free end of the arm 80 there is a recess 82 which has rectangular openings to both.the top surface 81 and the end surface 83. Projecting into the recess 82 there is a flange 84 which defines a U-shaped slot. The flange is spaced above the base of the recess by a distance which is marginally greater than the separation of the groove 161 from the bottom surface of the foot portion 152. The rectangular opening in the end surface 83 has marginally greater dimensions than foot portion 152. Thus the foot portion 152 can slide into the recess 82 from the end of the tool arm and the flange 84 enters the groove 161. When the foot portion has entered the recess to the extent that the curved part of the flange is engaged in the groove 161, the foot portion is retained in stable manner in the applicator tool. The bottom surface of the foot portion 152 bears against the base of the recess when pressure is applied to fix the tag to an animal 's ear.

For applying an ear tag of the kind shown in Figure 1, the recess 82 may be shaped appropriately to receive the foot portion 52. Figure 15 shows a third embodiment of the invention which does not have an electronic responder in the male part but which is otherwise generally similar to the embodiments of figures 1-5 and 6-9, and the same reference numerals are used for similar parts. The rivet

5 does not have a chamber 14 and there is no requirement for the head 37 to be removable. The rivet 5 is therefore moulded as a solid integral unit. Its external shape corresponds to the rivet of figure

6 and it is held in a sleeve 32 of soft plastics material. A solid rivet may also be substituted in the embodiment of figure 1. It is preferred to use glass-filled nylon as the hard material for making the solid rivet.

As an optional feature, the embodiment of figure 15 may have an electronic responder 90 retained in the throat portion 56 of the strip. In a further alternative, the electronic responder may be retained in the limb 4 of the strip, adjacent to the female part.

Industrial Applicability

Animal ear tags are manufactured for use in the agricultural industry.

In this description and in the claims, the terms "up", "down", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "horizontal" and the like refer to the ear tag as disposed in Figures 1, 6 and 15 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

1. An ear tag comprising 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 mounted therein at one end of the strip without any portion of the strip projecting beyond the male part, and having the female part of the tag therein 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 male part 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 male part.

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 according to any of the preceding claims wherein the female part of the tag includes a cap which receives the head of the male part when the parts are interfitted, and the cap has a crown portion which is not resiliently deformable.

6. An ear tag according to claim 5, wherein the crown portion is rigid and/or frangible.

7. An ear tag according to claim 6 wherein the cap comprises a housing of soft plastics material moulded integrally with the strip and an insert of rigid and/or brittle material which provides the crown portion.

8. An ear tag according to claim 7 wherein the insert is of brittle plastics material having a different colour from that of the soft plastics material of the housing, or is of metal, preferably stainless steel.

9. An ear tag according to any of claims 5-8 wherein the crown portion is perforated by holes.

10. An ear tag according to any of the preceding claims wherein the strip of soft flexible plastics material has a portion of reduced thickness equidistant from the male and female parts.