Ear tag applicator

An ear tag applicator having pivotally connected handles each having a jaw. One of the jaws has a tag engaging pin which is biased into a nearly perpendicular orientation with respect to the opposing jaw. A biasing spring allows the pin and the tag held thereby to pivot relative to the jaw at all times so that the device will not tear or rip the animals ear during its application.

The present invention relates to an improved ear tag applicator. 
More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved applicator 
for applying ear tags to animals whereby the ear tag engagement means is 
locked until the tag is inserted and whereupon it pivots away from the 
applicator upon insertion of the tag. 
To the present time a wide range of ear tag applicators have been known. 
These generally consist of a pliers type of applicator, often of the 
trocar type, which usually involves a hand held appliance whereby in use a 
pin or blade pierces the animal's ear and then draws through the head of 
the ear tag. In such applicators the manner in which the blade or pin is 
positioned and directed is important. Prior art applicators have used a 
variety of means to achieve this including a relatively complex slidingly 
movable element within a housing as found in New Zealand Patent 
Specification No. 205008. Other applicators have utilised the use of 
mechanical retention means to keep the blade or pin in position prior to, 
during or after insertion of the ear tag. 
The aforesaid applicators have tended to be complex and/or inefficient. It 
is an object of the present invention to address these difficulties. 
According to one broad aspect of the invention there is provided an 
applicator for an animal ear tag including at least two pivotally 
connected handle members extending into or being attached to first and 
second jaws, and a driving means comprising a body portion and elongate 
tag engagement means characterised in that the driving means is pivotally 
connected adjacent one end of the first jaw member to enable the driving 
means to pivot about and relative to its pivotal attachment to the first 
jaw member. 
According to another broad aspect of the invention there is provided an 
applicator tool for applying an ear tag to an animal comprising actuating 
means connected to upper and lower jaw means the said jaw means being 
movable towards and away from each other, driving means comprising a body 
portion and elongate tag engagement means wherein the tag engagement means 
is pivotable and the load on the tag engagement means is located below the 
point of pivot thereby restraining said tag engagement means in a first 
position and whereby said tag engagement means is pivotable away from the 
applicator to a second position once the ear tag has been applied to the 
animal. 
In a preferred form of the invention the tag engagement means comprises a 
pin which in its first position is substantially diagonal to the upper and 
lower jaw means and is pivotable so as to lie in substantially the same 
plane as the upper jaw means upon insertion of an ear tag. 
The driving means preferably consists of a body portion movable about a 
pivot wherein the said movement is determined by restraining means located 
around the said body portion and wherein biasing means assists to restrain 
the said driving means in a first position.

The applicator of the present invention may be constructed according to the 
pliers type of applicator tool, as embodied in existing applicator tools. 
In FIG. 1, the applicator tool is referenced by Arrow 1. It has actuating 
means comprising upper handle 2 and lower handle 3. Upper handle 2 is 
integrally formed with lower jaw 4 and lower handle 3 is integrally formed 
with upper jaw 5. It will be appreciated that upon the closing of handles 
2 and 3, upper jaw 5 and lower jaw 4 will be movable towards each other, 
and vice versa. 
The cut away portion of upper jaw 5 discloses a hollow interior 6 within 
which are positioned various restraining means. The first is an "L" shaped 
restraining means 7 comprising an elongate base 8 and upstand 9. The other 
restraining means comprises an inverted "L" shaped restraining means 10 
wherein the upstand 11 is substantially vertical. 
The applicator tool has a biasing means 12 which is kept in tension by 
means of spacer 13. 
The apparatus has a driving means 14 comprising a body portion 15, tag 
engagement means 16 and centrally located pivot 17. 
It will be seen that body portion 15 has five sides--15a, which in the 
"cocked" position in which the driving means is located in FIG. 1, points 
downwardly, 15b to which is attached tag engagement means 16, side 15c 
which abuts against restraining means 7, side 15d which is in abutment 
with the free end of biasing means 12 and 15e which points towards the 
front of the applicator tool. 
In the present position, for convenience referred to as the "cocked" 
position the driving means is retained in position by restraining means 7 
and biasing means 12. When an ear tag is loaded onto the tag engagement 
means, which in a preferred embodiment is pin shaped, the driving means 
will be retained in "cocked" position by virtue of the fact that the tag 
engagement means is located rearward and below of the point of pivot. This 
means that a minimal biasing of biasing means 12 is required to keep the 
pin in the "cocked" position. 
As an illustration of the manner of operation of the applicator tool 
reference is made to FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein a one piece ear tag is shown to 
be applied. The ear tag 18 is shown to have a body portion 19 and pointed 
head 20. FIG. 1 shows the applicator tool with the upper jaw 5 and lower 
jaw 4 in an open position and with the driving means in a "cocked" 
position. FIG. 4 shows the driving means still in a "cocked" position but 
with the sharpened head 20 having pierced an animal's ear 21. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the applicator tool applying a two piece ear tag 
wherein the male portion of the ear tag 22 is attached to the tag 
engagement means (not shown) and wherein the female portion of the ear tag 
23 is attached to a tag holder means 24 spring loaded onto lower jaw 4. 
FIG. 6 shows the same ear tag having pierced an animal's ear 21. 
In all the above cases the driving means remains in a "cocked" position. It 
will be seen that upon completion of the above steps both handles 2 and 3 
and jaws 4 and 5 will be in a closed position. Upon insertion of the tag 
through the animal's ear (or other skin) the tag engagement means will 
need to be removed from the ear tag/ear. This may be achieved by pulling 
the applicator tool away from the animal's ear or alternatively by the 
animal itself pulling away from the applicator tool. 
Upon this occurring the tag engagement means 16 will pivot in the direction 
of arrow A. That is, from a substantially vertical to a substantially 
horizontal position as illustrated by position B of FIG. 2. In this 
position, conveniently referred to as the "spent" position, the sides of 
body portion 15 will be located as follows: 15a will be positioned 
upwardly and forwardly, 15b forwardly, 15c downwardly, 15d downwardly and 
rearwardly and 15e would be restrained by means of the restraining means 
12. Further travel would be prevented by tag engagement means 16 striking 
the lower portion of restraining means 11. 
It will be appreciated from the above that the tag engagement means of the 
present invention has a first "cocked" position and a second "spent" 
position, with the position being determined by the combined effect of the 
restraining means, biasing means and load placed on the tag engagement 
means itself. It will be seen that the movement of the driving means from 
the substantially vertical "cocked" position to the substantially 
horizontal "spent" position may be relatively simply and efficiently 
achieved with a minimum of movement and moving parts. This provides for a 
applicator tool having enhanced performance characteristics and one which 
provides greater ease of use for the person applying ear tags. 
It will also be appreciated that the positioning of the tag engagement 
means is determined by a combination of factors as opposed to a specific 
restraining means which holds the body portion or tag engagement means in 
a fixed position until the tag is inserted. 
Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific 
components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such 
equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. 
Although this invention has been described by way of example and with 
reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that 
modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from 
the scope or spirit of the invention.