Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Check – label – or tag – Animal markers
Patent
1996-11-13
2000-02-08
Green, Brian K.
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Check, label, or tag
Animal markers
40668, G09F 300, G09F 312
Patent
active
060215925
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ear tag for marking an animal, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such an ear tag is known, for example from GB-A-1 293 157. These and other ear tags fitted in the same way are put on the market in large numbers for quick and simple marking of, for example, pigs and cows. When the tag is fitted, the pin projects through the ear of the animal, and a part of the ear tag which is generally plate-shaped is situated on both sides of the ear. For the visual identification of the animal one part or both parts can be provided with identification marks. The parts of the ear tags are manufactured as far as possible from plastic material, in order to permit mass production at low cost. It is pointed out that the invention also relates to ear tags in which the pin and the first part are manufactured integrally.
The ear tag disclosed in GB-1 293 157 has a plastic pin comprising a shank with a pointed head, in which the pointed head is pyramid shaped. The sharp edges of the pyramid provide for a concentration of the pressing-in force, thereby facilitating the penetration through the ear of the animal. This concentration of the pressing-in force is however insufficient to obtain a noticeable improvement when the pin penetrates through the ear of the animal.
Another ear tag is described in EP 0,105,796 and has a hollow pin made of flexible plastic. The conical head of the pin is provided with a very hard element, particularly of metal, which forms the pointed part of the head. The object of providing this very hard point is to achieve improved penetration of the pin into the ear of the animal. This is advantageous both for the animal and in terms of the force required for fitting the tag. The fact that the shank of the pin is made of a flexible material, in such a way that the shank can withstand the pressure load occurring during the insertion, has the generally accepted advantage that it gives the first and the second part of the ear tag a certain mobility. This is important, for example, if the animal becomes caught up somewhere by ear tag. Moreover, in a design of the ear tag in which the pin is integral with the first part, on account of the desired flexible material of the first part, making the pin of the same flexible material is a great advantage as far as production is concerned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
When the pin of EP 0 105 796 is being pressed into the ear, the pressing-in force prevailing between the conical surface of the head and the ear is virtually uniform in the peripheral direction of the conical surface. In fact, this means that the pressing-in force exerted on the pin is uniformly distributed over the entire conical surface. Since the ear material of the animal will give way only when the tension created at a particular point exceeds the tear limit of said ear material, a very great force therefore has to be exerted when the is being pressed into the ear.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide an ear tag which can be fitted quickly with little effort, and in the kindest possible way to the animal, and which is also comfortable for the animal during wear.
This object is achieved by an ear tag of the type mentioned in the preamble, which is characterized in that a cutting body is embedded in the head of the pin, the cutting body being of harder material than the head of the pin and defining the at least one cutting line (cutting edge) in the outer surface of the head, which outer surface is essentially bounded by the softer material of the head.
The present invention is based on the insight that the head in fact produces an opening in the ear for the passage of the shank of the pin. If this is carried out in the same way as that of the known ear tags, by pressing the ear material away laterally and partially tearing it, great force is required for the insertion, on the one hand, and an ugly wound is produced in the ear, on the other. By producing a concentration of the
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Green Brian K.
Reinhard Nehls
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