Marker tag for tree trunks and an applicator hammer for the application of same to tree trunks

A marker tag for tree trunks is provided with a flat element bearing indicia adapted to clip onto an applicator hammer. A nail extends perpendicularly through the flat element and is able to slide in a passage opening in the flat element preferably subject to the action of a clamping force and only able to be slid on application of a force. After driving the nail provided with the marker tag into a living tree trunk the trunk continues to increase in diameter and accordingly pushes the marker tag along the nail so that after a certain number of years it is stripped off and drops to the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a marker tag for tree trunks comprising a flat element bearing indicia and having holding means for clipping on an applicator hammer, and furthermore such an applicator hammer for the application of such marker tags to tree trunks.

THE PRIOR ART

Such marker tags are for example disclosed in the British patent publication 2,075,464 A, the European patent publication EP-A-1 246 152 or the European patent publication EP-A 1 286 325, the last named specification also illustrating and describing an applicator hammer for the attachment of the marker tags on wood. The marker tags in this case bear optical, magnetic or electronic indicia or codes in order to mark the respective tree trunk or wood. Known marker tag possess integrally formed teeth or spurs which bite into the tree trunks when using the hammer and thus anchor the tag. The marker tag may then later only be removed from the tree trunks, more particularly after a certain period of growth, with a considerable degree of mechanical effort and normally, the marker tags only become detached during later processing using the appropriate chemical treatment.

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a marker tag which automatically detaches itself after a number years from the tree trunk and furthermore an applicator hammer for the attachment of such a marker tag to living tree trunks.

In order to achieve these and/or other objects appearing from the present specification, claims and drawings, in the present invention a marker tag for tree trunks comprises a flat element with indicia and with holding means for clipping on an applicator hammer, wherein a nail extends perpendicularly through the flat element, said nail being able to slide in a passage opening in the flat element.

Furthermore the invention provides an applicator hammer for applying such a marker tag to tree trunks, comprising a hammer handle and a hammer head, wherein the hammer head possesses a driver face adapted for engagement with the flat element of a marker tag and behind which driver face there extends a peripheral groove into which the holding means of the marker tag may snap and wherein a receiving slot for the nail extends perpendicularly to the driver face of the marker tag from the driver face as far as an abutment face for the rear end face of the nail.

The advantages of the design in accordance with the invention are more particularly that owing to the anchoring of the nail in the tree trunks the marker tag is automatically pushed along the nail during the growth of the tree in an outward direction with the increase in diameter of the trunk so that finally it drops off. Since the increase in the trunk diameter may generally be approximately estimated, the depth of penetration of the nail may be employed to determine when the marker tag drips off. The depth of penetration may for example be set by adjustments on the applicator hammer. The applicator hammer makes it possible for the marker tag, after removal from a magazine using the hammer, to be secured by means of the hammer together with the nail in a simple manner on the tree trunks.

The features of the invention recited in the dependent claims relate to advantageous developments and improvements in the marker tag as defined in claims1and the applicator hammer defined in claim9.

In accordance with an advantageous feature of the invention the nail has at least part of its length between a starting position of the flat element and the end portion remote from the front point provided with protrusions, with peripheral grooves or with helical splines in order to render possible the sliding of the flat element along the nail or, respectively, to produce a force opposing the sliding movement.

The holding force of the holding means on the applicator hammer is in this case set to be less than the force for sliding the nail through the passage opening so that the applicator hammer may be removed from the marker tag after application without displacement of the marker tag along the nail.

In order to hold the flat element elastically on the nail slits extend outward from the edge of the passage opening so that elastic lugs are formed to clamp onto the nail, the protrusions on it or the like. The rear end portion of the nail widens in diameter like a cone to prevent deformation on driving home the nail and furthermore to increase the holding force on the flat element along the rear part thereof.

The flat element preferably possesses integrally formed spacer elements on its flat side facing away from the holding to prevent damage of the holding means, which are not so robust, on stacking in a magazine and more particularly on removal of a marker tag by the applicator hammer.

The holding means are preferably in the form of three or four hook-like holding members adapted to snap into an annular groove in the applicator hammer.

The length of the receiving slot in the applicator hammer is preferably equal to the free length of the nail after hammering it home and in accordance with a convenient design of the invention is adjustable.

The driver face of the applicator hammer is preferably the front side of a driver disk provided with the peripheral groove for the holding means to snap into.

Further advantageous developments and convenient forms of the invention will be understood from the following detailed descriptive disclosure of one embodiment thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED ACCOUNT OF WORKING EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The marker tag10illustrated inFIG. 1is produced in the form of a plastic injection molding and essentially comprises a rectangular tabular flat element11, which at its four corners is provided with attachment spurs12, projecting to one side, which are normally termed pick up spurs or hooks. These attachment spurs12have detent projections at their free end portions and such projections are directed toward one another, that is to say toward the middle of the marker tag and on fitting to the head13of an applicator hammer14(seeFIGS. 3 and 4) fit into a peripheral groove15in the hammer head13to be held therein.

On the opposite side in the flat element11four integrally formed spacer elements16are provided, which project from the flat element11and are slightly longer than the attachment spurs12. Accordingly during stacking in a magazine (not illustrated) they protect the attachment spurs. The number and the form of the spacer elements may be varied. In the case of a simplified design they may also be omitted.

In a manner which is not illustrated but is customary in the art, the flat element may have through slots for placement in a row on U-shaped members for stack magazines2.

The flat element11may, instead of the rectangular configuration, in principle have a different shape. Such different designs of the flat element are illustrated in the initially mentioned British patent publication 2,075,464 A.

The flat element11possesses a through hole17, represented in more detail inFIG. 2, to receive a nail18. From the edge of the through opening17slits19extend radially outward so that elastic lugs20are formed which make elastic engagement with the nail18. In a simpler design it is possible to have a plain through hole through which the nail runs with or without friction.

The nail18possesses a point21at one end and a conical nail head22at the opposite end. The nail head22is such that the nail widens in diameter toward the end. The peripheral face of the nail18is provided with peripheral ribs or grooves23which may be in the form of striations or helical ridges. They serve to hold the nail18more firmly on the flat element11so that such flat element11may only be moved on the nail18with a fair degree of force. The nail18is driven into a growing tree trunk by means of the applicator hammer14in a manner to be described in more detail until the marker tag10has its spacer elements16in engagement with the tree trunk. The nail18is in this case firmly anchored on the trunk. When the tree grows and increases in diameter the outer face of the trunk will force the marker tag10along the nail18until after a few years the marker tag10is pushed off the nail completely and drops onto the ground. The farther the nail is driven into the and accordingly the shorter the protruding length of the nail is, the shorter the time in which the marker tag remains on the trunk. By varying the depth of driving the nail into the wood and the protruding length the time may be set in which the marker tag is held on the trunk. The peripheral grooves23need be only provided along the path of displacement of the flat element11along the nail18and furthermore such ridges or rib may be absent.

In the case of the working example in accordance withFIG. 1the flat element11is provided with indicia in the form of a six digit number as a code. Instead of such numerical indicia a bar code or some other optically readable code or a magnetic or electronic code could be employed as in the initially mentioned European A-1 246 152.

The applicator hammer14illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4has a handle24on which the head13of the hammer is attached. The hammer head13has a driver disk25, peripherally grooved at15, on one end, such disk25engaging at its free side26(the driver face) the flat element11of a marker tag10clipped into position on the hammer. From this free end face26there perpendicularly extends a receiving slot27for the rear portion of the nail18as far as an abutment face28for the nail head22. For the insertion of the nail head22the receiving slot27is made wider in the portion in front of the engagement face28.

The receiving slot27extends downward into the hammer head13. Accordingly such receiving slot27is visible in the view from above in accordance withFIG. 4,

During use firstly a nail18is slipped into the receiving slot27as inFIG. 4. Then the hammer head13armed with the nail18is so moved into a marker tag magazine that the nail18is fitted into the through hole17in a marker tag10. When the driver disk25reaches the top marker tag10the tag will be locked in-place owing to engagement of the attachment spur12with the peripheral groove15. Now a nail18provided with the marker tag10can be driven home into a tree trunk normally so far that the marker tag10engages the tree trunk. The hammer head is then disengaged from the nail and the marker tag10. The hammer head13may have means for cooperation with the marker tag magazine in order to ensure that the marker tags10are fitted of the hammer head13at the correct angle. For instance, the driver disk25may have a projection for cooperation with a slot in the marker tag magazine.

In the working example the through hole17is arranged eccentrically in the flat element11. In principle a central or other arrangement of the through hole17is possible.

In the illustrated working example the receiving slot27has a predetermined length so that the depth of driving in can only be varied if nails of different length are employed. However, the length of the protruding portion of the nail18will remain constant. In the case of a more adjustable design it is possible for example to have a cylindrical part29provided with the driver disk25, such cylindrical part being provided with the receiving slot, which is able to be slid and fixed in various different positions in the remaining part of the hammer head. Moreover it is possible for the engagement face28for the nail head22to be made adjustable by having a set screw or the like.