METHOD, APPARATUS AND TAG FOR TAGGING POULTRY AND THE LIKE

Abstract: The tags (1) are each comprising an approximately rectangular text carrier (5), a fastening portion (6) having at least one perforation (7) therein, and at least one coilable prong (8) are supplied in the form of a strip stepwise to an application station (4), where two jaws (23, 24) engage a tag and attach it to the poultry by coiling the prong. Each tag is engaged by the jaws at a prong and at the opposite edge of the text carrier, the prong is coiled into an associated perforation, and for the supply of the strip of tags, the strip is engaged by the same perforations.

Description: Method, apparatus and tag for tagging poultry and the like. This invention relates to a method of tagging successively supplied poultry and the like with tags each comprising an approximately rectangular text carrier, a fastening portion comprising at least one perforation and at least one coilable prong, in which the tags are supplied in the form of a strip in which the tags are laterally interconnected at the text carriers in a rupturable manner, said strip being supplied stepwise, in synchronism with the supply of the pieces of poultry, to an application station, where two jaws are disposed which engage a tag and, while this is pressed against a piece of poultry and separated from the strip, attach it to the poultry by coiling the prong or prongs. In this prior technique, each tag is engaged by the two jaws at the prong or prongs adjacent to the perforation in the fastening portion of the tag, so that an edge of the perforation functions as an abutment. As a consequence, the longitudinal dimension or prior tags is not, at least not exclusively, determined by the size of the mark to be put on the text carrier, but also by the minimum distance between the perforations and the prongs of the tag. This dimension must not be too small, because otherwise the approaching stroke of the jaws becomes too small and hence proper coiling of the prong or prongs, and reliable fastening of a tag to a head of poultry cannot be quaranteed. As a consequence, prior tags are relatively large, and in view of the fact that they are used by the millions, the loss of material resulting from this is an important and disadvantageous cost item. It is an object of the invention to provide a method which enables the use of tags which do not have this disadvantage. For this purpose, in the method according to the invention, each tag is engaged by the jaws at the prong or prongs and at the opposite edge of the text carrier, during the coiling of the prong the tip thereof is guided into an associated perforation in the fastening portion, and for the supply of the strip of tags to the jaws, the strip is engaged by the same perforations. ty using not the perforations but a terminal edge of the text carrier as the abutment, the perforations in the fastening portion of each tag may be provided relatively closely to the prongs, and this so closely that the prongs can coil through associated perforations and hence ensure a reliable fastening to the poultry meat. The size of the text carrier is exclusively iVEnined by the size of the text to be put on it, and consequently the consumption of material is limited to the absolute minimum. Moreover, the presence of perforations is put to good use for a reliable supply of the tags. This will be entered into in more detail hereinafter. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method. A prior apparatus used for this purpose is provided with jaws for engaging successive tags supplied in the form of a strip and having perforations and prongs, means for separating the tags from the strip, and pressing the tags against poultry, one of the jaws, the coiling jaw, being arranged for engaging and coiling the prong or prongs of a tag, and the other, the counter-jaw, being arranged for engaging an edge of the tag located at a distance from the prong, there being further provided a supply means for engaging the strip of tags and advancing the same stepwise to the jaws. In such an apparatus of known design, the counter-jaw, as explained above, engages with the perforations in the tag,while the supply means is formed as a resilient, reciprocating pawl, which engages with the strip of tags to be supplied in spaces present between the fastening portions of the strip, which are narrower than the text carriers. During this procedure, the strip lies flat on the bottom of a supply passage, and it will be clear that, in view of the small thickness of the tags, the resilient prsl of the supply means cannot engage with the strip in a reliable manner. As a consequence, slippage frequently occurs in practice, resulting in a tag that is not, or not properly, secured. Another disadvantage of the prior apparatus is that the counter-jaw must repeatedly be moved into a perforation of the tag, as a consequence of which the jaw must be arranged, in addition to the approaching movement towards the other jaw, for carrying out movements perpendicular to the plane of supply of the strip of tags. Both of these drawbacks are avoided in accordance with the invention by virtue of the fact that the counter-jaw is arranged to engage the terminal edge of the tag that is remote from the prong or prongs, and by virtue of the fact that the supply means is formed as a cam wheel which can engage with the perforations in the strip of tags and can be driven stepwise, attuned to the jaw movements. Similar to a film strip in a projection camera the strip of tags is supplied to the space between the moved-apart jaws in an accurately timed and reliable manner, and for the fastening of a tag the jaws only need to move towards each other, unless it is desired for the entire assembly to be moved towards an article to be marked that is transported past it. The invention further relates to a tag for carrying out the method and/or for use in the applicator according to the invention. The tag, which consists of a substantially rectangular text carrier merging on one end into a fastening portion which at the end remote from the text carrier is provided with at least one coilable prong, and at least one perforation being formed in said fastening portion, is characterized in thatthe distance of the perforation or perforations to the prong or prongs has been so selected relative to the prong length that when a prong is coiled its tip can penetrate into an associated perforation. As explained above, such tags have the advantage that their maximum dimensions, and hence the consumption of material, are exclusively determined by the size of the mark or text thereon. Ina further elaborationof the invention, in a tag, at least in a strip of such tags interconnected in a rupturable manner by the adjacent edges of the text carriers, the spacing between successive perforations can correspond to the pitch of the teeth of the transporting wheel of the tag applicator. In illustration of the invention, one embodiment of the apparatus and the tag for tagging poultry xill be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view, showing the part of the apparatus where tags are supplied to the application station; Fig. IA and 13 show successive bending phases of P tag, Fig. IA along the line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken on the line Il-Il of Fig. 1, and showing the jaws in the application station; and Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing the supply means on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1. According to the drawing , in particular Fig. 1, a strip of tags 1 is transported stepwise by supply means 2 to a prefo=er 3 and thence to an application station 4. The tags 1 each comprise a text carrier 5, a fastening portion 6 with perforations 7 therein, and prongs 8. The number of prongs may vary, but associated with each prong 8 is a perforation 7, the distance between each prong 8 and its-associated perforation 7, and the length of the prong being so selected that the prong can extend through the perioration in the manner shown in Fig. 1B. The tags 1 are united into a strip at the text carrier 5 by means of a score line 9, which strip is wound from a roll. For the transporting means 2. reference is made to Fig. 3. The transporting means comprises a housing 10, in which a cam wheel 11 together with a gear wheel 12 is rotatable about a shaft 13. A rocker 14 is likewise, but independently of cam wheel 11 and gear wheel 12, mounted for rotation about shaft 13. Rocker 14 is connected through a spindle 15 to a fork 16 reciprocatable according to the arrow indicated therein. Furthermore; the rocker nouns a pawl 17 for pivoting movement about a pin 18. ?awl 17 is biased into contact with the gear zheel by a spring 19 and a stud 20, so that when fork 16 moves to the right, rocker 14 pivots clockwise about shaft 13, and pawl 17, catching behind a tooth of wheel 12, causes this gear wheel and hence cam wheel ll to perform a transporting movement in the clockwise direction. During the return stroke of fork 16, pawl 17 clicks over the next tooth of wheel 12, and the wheel cannot turn back, as a second pawl 20 prevents such a counterclockwise rotation. Pawl 20 is mounted for pivoting movement about a pin 21 in housing 10. The slopes of the flanks of the teeth of gear wheel 12 and the configuration of the parts of pawls 17 and 20 cooperating with these flanks are attuned to the above functions of pushing and arresting. The size and the pitch of cans 22 on cam wheel 2 Pre adapted to the perforations 7 in tags 1. In the embodiment shown, there are two perforations 7 in each tag, but it is clear that effective and accurate transportation of the strip of tags is also possible if a tag comprises one perforation 7 only, so long as the pitch of cams 22 is adapted to the spacing between the perforations in the strip. The tags, Which are thus accurately and stepwise transported by transporting means 2, reach a reformer 3, in which, in the manner shown in Fig. IA,the tip of prongs 8 is bent approximately at right angles, while the opposite edge of the text carrier 5 is also bent, although to a lesser extent. In this condition the tags 1 arrive in the application station 4 between two jaws, namely, a prong coiling jaw 23 and a counter-jaw 24. Counter-jaw 24 has a flank 25 comprising a berthing surface for the turned-up terminal edge of a text carrier 5 and an abutment surface terminating approximately at right angles thereto, so that when the jaws 23 and 24 are approaching each other the text carrier 5 comes to lie in contact with jaw 24 without any clearance. Coiling jaw 23 has a flank with a virtually circular-cilindrical cavity 26 in which the prongs 8 of a tag 1, already turned-up at right angles thereto, are coiled in a reliable manner into the condition shown in Fig. 1B. The assembly of jaws 2 and 23 can be moved in the direction of arrow P for moving a tag 1 engaged between the jaws, prior to the curling of the prongs 8 to a piece of poultry or other article to be tagged. The incremental movements of cam wheel 11 are naturally attuned to the movements of jaws 23 and 21 so that each time after the application of a tag 1 to an article to be tagged a next tag is brought between the jaws.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method of tagging successively supplied poultry and the like with tags each comprising an approximately rectangular text carrier, a fastening portion comprising at least one perforation and at least one coilable prong, in which the tags are supplied in the form of a strip in which the tags are laterally interconnected at the text carriers in a rupturable manner, said strip being supplied stepwise, in synchronism with the supply of pieces of poultry, to an application station, where two jaws are disposed which engage a tag and, while this is pressed against a piece of poultry and separated from the strip, attach it to the poultry by coiling the prong or prongs, characterized in that each tag is engaged by the jaws at the prong or prongs and at the opposite edge of the text carrier, during the coiling of the prong the tip thereof is guided into an associated perforation in the fastening portion, and for the supply of the strip of tags to the jaws, the strip is engaged by the same peforations. 2. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising jaws for engaging successive tags supplied in the form of a strip and having perforations and prongs, means for separating the tags from the strip, and pressing the tags against poultry, one of the jaws, the coiling jaw, being arranged for engaging and coiling the prong or prongs of a tag, and the other, the counter-jaw, being arranged for engaging an edge of the tag located at a distance from the prong, there being further provided a supply means for engaging the strip of tags and advancing the same stepwise to the jaws, characterized in that the counter-jaw is arranged to engage the terminal edge of the tag that is remote from the prong or prongs, and the supply means is formed as a cam wheel which can engage with the perforations in the strip of tags and can be driven stepwise, attuned to the jaw movements. 3. A tag for carrying out the method according to claim 1 and/or for use in the apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a substanb#y rectangular text carrier merging on one end into a fastening portion which at the end rencte trom the text carrier is provided with at least one coilable prong, and at least one perforation being foamed in said fastening portion, characterized in that the distance of the perforation or perforations to the prong or prongs has been so selected relative to the prong length that when a prong is coiled its tip can penetrate into an associated perforation. 4. A tag according to claim 3, characterized in that, in a tag, at least in a strip of such tags interconnected in a rupturable manner by the adjacent edges of the text carriers, the distance between successive perforations corresponds to the pitch of the teeth of the transporting wheel of the tag applicator as claimed in claim 2.

Inventors: MOOLENAARS, JAN ERIC
Applicants: RECORD A.G.
Application year: 1980
Main classification: A22C17
IPC codes: A22C17, A01K35