Ear tag installing tool

• US 4,195,635 A
• Filed: 05/24/1978
• Issued: 04/01/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eugene B. Ritchey
• Original Assignee: Eugene B. Ritchey
• Inventors: Ritchey, Eugene B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US05/909,044
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 128/330, 128/329 R, 128/347, 40/300, 40/301, 40/302, 30/286, 30/124, 30/343, 119/135
• US Class Current: 606/117
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/002 Pliers specially adapted for fixing ear-tags to ears

Abstract

An improved tool for piercing the skin of an animal and inserting a loopless identification tag of the type having a base connected to an anchoring head by a narrow neck portion. The tool comprises a handle having a palm engaging portion for thrusting the tool through the animal'"'"'s skin and further includes an integral pointed and sharpened skin piercing blade attached to the handle by a long narrow shank. A sliding element comprises a pair of generally parallel rods extending along opposite sides of the shank and joined at their forward ends by a yoke extending under and partially encircling the blade. The sliding element is movable from an extended position with the yoke encircling the blade to a retracted position in which the rods slide into the handle and the yoke is adjacent the forward end of the handle. To insert a tag, it is positioned with the ears of the anchoring head extending into variable length slots formed between the shank and the parallel rods. The blade then is quickly thrust through the skin of an animal and the yoke is moved rearwardly upon contact with the skin of the animal causing the ears to be folded over each other and to be cammed out of the slot as they pass through the incision in the ear so that they are released from the tool and unfold whereupon the tag remains securely locked in the ear as the tool is withdrawn.

Claims

1. A hand tool for applying a tag to an element to be tagged, wherein the tag is of the type which is made of resilient elastomeric material and includes a laterally extensive base for receiving indicia, an anchoring head in the general plan form of an arrowhead with a narrow leading end or tip and rearwardly diverging locking flanges joined to the base by a narrow neck, said tool comprising:

a flat sharpened blade for piercing the element to be tagged;

a handle for holding said tool to thrust said blade through the element to be tagged to form an incision through which the head of the tag can pass;

a narrow shank interconnecting said blade and said handle; and

a sliding element movable between an extended position and a retracted position, said sliding element having;

an elongated member on each side of said shank slidably received in said handle; and

a U-shaped yoke having a front face and interconnecting the extending ends of said members and extending around a portion of said blade when said sliding element is in extended position, said shank and each of said members, together with said yoke forming a slot therebetween, said sliding element being movable from said extended position to said retracted position wherein said yoke is adjacent said handle, upon said front face of said yoke engaging said element to be tagged when said blade is thrust through the element to be tagged causing the locking flanges to be cammed out of said slots as they are shortened due to the movement of said sliding element from said extended position to said retracted position.

2. A tool, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blade further includes

a tapered point;

and

a flange extending upwardly on opposite sides of said blade rearwardly of said point for receiving the tip of the arrowhead therebetween and for separating the incision to allow passage of the arrowhead therethrough.

3. A tool, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said flanges have leading beveled faces for separating the incision.

4. A tool, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yoke includes:

a pin extending from one side inwardly toward the other side to fold one locking flange over tightly; and

a curved surface on said yoke for curving the other locking flange over said one locking flange so that they can pass through the incision.

5. A hand tool for applying a tag to the skin of an animal, wherein the tag is of the type which is made of resilient elastomeric material and includes a laterally extensive base for receiving indicia, an anchoring head in the general plan form of an arrowhead with a narrow leading end or tip and rearwardly diverging locking flanges joined to the base by a narrow neck;

said tool comprising;

a flat sharpened blade having a point for piercing the skin to form an incision for receiving the tag and an upturned flange along each edge of said blade, rearwardly of said point for separating the incision so that the tip of the anchoring head can pass therethrough;

a narrow shank interconnecting said blade and a handle for holding said tool, said shank terminating in a support strip within the handle;

said handle comprising;

a first half on one side of said support strip;

a second half on the other side of said support;

means interconnecting said halves so that said support strip is sandwiched therebetween; and

a longitudinal slide groove formed in said halves on opposite side of said support strip, said grooves being generally parallel; and

a sliding element comprising;

a pair of rods slidably received in said respective grooves;

a generally U-shaped yoke extending around a portion of said blade connected to the outer ends of said rods to form a sliding element which is movable from an extended position, in which said yoke is adjacent said upturned flanges of said blade forming slots between said shank and said rods for receiving the locking flanges of a tag, and a retracted position, in which said yoke is adjacent said handle, said sliding element being movable from said extended position to said retracted position upon engagement of said yoke with the skin of the animal upon thrusting the blade through the skin whereupon the length of the slots is shortened as the blade and anchoring head passes through the incision causing the locking flanges to be cammed out of said slots after passage through to incision releasing the anchoring head from the blade so that the blade can be withdrawn in a reverse direction through the incision.

6. A hand tool, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said rods each include:

longitudinal guide groove running along the inner edge thereof for receiving the edge of said support strip which serves as a guide for said sliding member.

7. A hand tool, as claimed in either claims 5 or 6, wherein:

said yoke abutts said blade adjacent said flanges when in extended position to limit the forward movement of said sliding element.

8. A hand tool, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said yoke includes:

a pin extending from one side inwardly toward the other side to fold one locking flange over tightly; and

a curved surface on said yoke for curving the other locking flange over said one locking flange so that they can pass through the incision.