Abstract:
The automatically attaching collar clasps are installed in an animal bait station. The bait station has an inlet so that when an animal is positioned in the inlet, a male clasp on one side of the inlet automatically converges with a female clasp on the opposite side to the inlet to create a ratcheting connection and thereby secures a collar around the neck of the targeted animal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The disclosed method and apparatus relates to attachment clasps used in an automated collaring system. Specifically, as an animal feeds at a specially-designed bait station, two mechanical arms (that are built into the bait station) converge around the animal&#39;s neck and join a male collar clasp to a corresponding female collar clasp and thereby secure a collar around the animal&#39;s neck. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many diseases are transmissible to man and animals by ectoparasites such as ticks. Because some wildlife species (for example white-tailed deer) are capable of propagating and harboring large populations of these ectoparasites, an effective strategy for the prevention of disease transmission should include the treatment of the wildlife that inhabit a treatment area. 
         [0003]    In targeted tick eradication areas, the ability to control ticks on wildlife can be a critical factor to the success of an eradication program. For example, cattle ticks were eradicated from the United States in the 1950+s, and a quarantine Zone was established along the Texas-Mexico border between Del Rio and Brownsville, Tex. to prevent re-infestation of US cattle herds. Yearly outbreaks of ticks that occur in the quarantine zone are controlled by treating the cattle and by vacating infested pastures. However, the cattle frequently intermingle with grazing (for example) deer so that the cattle are frequently re-infected by the ticks infecting the deer. Any successful cattle tick eradication program must also address the ticks that infect the deer. 
         [0004]    Unfortunately, the treatment of significant numbers of wild animals presents multiple challenges. The conventional method for treating wild animals generally comprises tranquilizing the animals, treating the animals, and then releasing the treated animal. However, this process is labor intensive, slow, and dangerous for both the animals and their handlers. 
         [0005]    One alternative means of addressing the tick problem is the application of a pesticide-impregnated collar. The current inventors previously patented a device for automatically applying collars (U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,672 to Pound et al., hereinafter “Pound &#39;672”), which is hereby incorporated by reference. However, the apparatus was originally designed to apply hook-and-loop type collars. While these collars are easy to apply, the collars can be dislodged by the heavy underbrush that is a part of the deer&#39;s natural habitat. 
         [0006]    The need exists for a collar clasp that can be applied using the existing automated collaring equipment (with only minor modifications) wherein the collar connection is more durable and secure than the current hook-and-loop-type collar connection. The current invention comprises a collar clasp that includes a ratcheting “cable-tie” type mechanism that is equally as easy to apply and much more durable and secure than the current collar connection means. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    This disclosure is directed to an automatically-attaching collar system for a target animal (preferably a deer). The system includes a flexible collar. A male clasp is attached to one end of the collar and a female clasp is attached to the opposite end of the collar. The male clasp includes a harpoon and the female clasp includes a corresponding receiving aperture. The male clasp is positioned on one side of a bait station inlet, and the female clasp being positioned on the other side of the inlet. When a target animal enters the bait station inlet, the male clasp and the female clasps converge so that the harpoon extends into the receiving aperture so that the collar is joined around the target animal&#39;s neck. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the collar and a pendant assembly as described herein—as the collar would be worn by a deer. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a bait station adapted to apply the collar and clasps. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the male clasp. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the female clasp. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the connected male and female clasps. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    As generally shown in  FIG. 1 , current invention is directed to a collar  10  that is intended to be worn around the neck of an animal. In the preferred embodiment, the animal is a deer and the collar  10  comprises a pesticide-impregnated collar.  FIG. 1  shows the collar  10  with an automatically-detachable collar pendant system  12  that may be used to automatically release the collar so that the collar falls off the deer&#39;s neck. The collar pendant system  12  is the subject of a co-pending patent application. 
         [0014]    As briefly described above, the current invention is intended to be used with an existing automatic collaring bait station  14 , such as the bait station described in the Pound &#39;672 patent. In accordance with Pound &#39;672, feed is placed in a strategically positioned feed bin  16  (see  FIG. 2 ) so that when an animal enters the inlet  18  and extends its neck to eat the feed in the bin  16 , the animal&#39;s position is detected by at least one of multiple sensors  20 . 
         [0015]    In the preferred embodiment, the sensors  20  are deployed around the inlet  18  and in the feed bin  16  to ensure that the animal is the correct position to apply a collar  10 . The bait station  14  further comprises a radio frequency identification (hereinafter “RFID”) detecting antenna/device  72  and associated hardware required to read an RFID tag. An RFID tag may be attached to the collar  12  or injected under the animal&#39;s skin. The RFID detection and translation ensures that the automatic collaring bait station does not try to collar already-collared animals. 
         [0016]    The sensors  20  send a signal to a controller  22 , which “wakes up”, and activates a pair of mechanical arms  24 ,  26  that are mounted adjacent to the inlet  18 . Each mechanical arm  24 ,  26  includes at least one pin  29  (preferably each mechanical arm  24 ,  26  includes at least two pins  29 , as shown in  FIG. 2 ). The pins  29  are positioned to snap into corresponding fittings  71  on the male  40  and female  60  clasps (described in greater detail below). The automatic collaring bait station  14  is configured so that one of the mechanical arms  24  holds the male clasp  40 , and the opposing arm  26  holds the female clasp  60 . The structure immediately adjacent to the pins  29  and the clasps  40 ,  60  may include metal inserts which interact with the corresponding magnets in the collaring arms to help hold the collar clasps  40 ,  60  on the pins  29  and thereby prevent the clasps  40 ,  60  from being dislodged (for example, by the animal&#39;s antlers) before the mechanical arms  24 ,  26  are activated and during collaring. When the controller  22  sends the appropriate signal, the mechanical arms  24 ,  26  converge around the neck of the deer in the direction of the arrows  32 ,  34  and join the clasps  40 ,  60  together so that the collar  10  is secure around the deer&#39;s neck. 
         [0017]    With regard to the structure of the respective clasps  40 ,  60 , a cross-sectional view of the male clasp  40  is shown in  FIG. 3 , and a cross-sectional view of the female clasp  60  is shown  FIG. 4 . The collars may be molded or otherwise fabricated in one or more pieces then snapped, glued or fastened together as appropriate. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the male collar clasp  40  comprises an upper body  42  and a lower body  44 . The lower body  44  is designed to be riveted or otherwise attached to one end of the collar  12 . The upper body  42  comprises an elongated fastening projection  50 . In the preferred embodiment, the elongated fastening projection comprises a “harpoon” joining/fastening mechanism  50 . For the purposes of this disclosure, a “harpoon”  50  is defined as an elongated semi-rigid projection with multiple rows of “teeth”  54 . The harpoon teeth  54  are angled so that, when the teeth  54  are engaged with a corresponding pawl  70  (see  FIG. 4 ), a ratcheting connection is created—such as the connection commonly created by conventional “cable ties” or “tie-wraps”. A harpoon  50  essentially comprises the same structures found in the “rack” portion of conventional cable ties. In alternative embodiments, other types of elongated fastening projections (for example a “toggle-bolt” type anchor/connection, a friction fit connection, or the like) should be considered within the scope to the claims. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the female clasp  60  also comprises an upper body  62  and a lower body  64 . The lower body  64  is designed to be riveted or otherwise attached to one end of the collar  12 . The upper body  62  comprises a conical receiving aperture  66  designed to direct the end portion of the harpoon  50  into a harpoon retention channel  68  in the direction of the arrow  69 . As the harpoon  50  enters the harpoon retention channel  68 , the harpoon teeth  54  engage a (preferably) metal pawl  70 . The pawl  70  essentially comprises the same structure found in the “ratchet” portion of conventional cable ties. Once the teeth  54  of the harpoon  50  engage the pawl  70  of the female clasp  60 , a secure ratcheting connection is created so that the harpoon  50  cannot be extracted from the retention channel  68  without applying a substantial amount of force and significantly damaging the female clasp  60  and/or the harpoon  50 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows the male clasp  40  securely joined to the female clasp  60  and also joined to the pesticide-impregnated collar  10 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , both the male  40  and  60  female connectors include at least one “breakaway” fitting  71 . The breakaway fittings  71  are designed to engage the pins  29  on each of the mechanical arms  24 ,  26  (see  FIG. 2 ). When the mechanical arms  24 ,  26  converge and the harpoon  50  of the male clasp  40  locks with the pawl  70  of the female clasp  60 , the deer (or other target animal) pulls away from the bait station  14  so that the pins  29  pop out of the breakaway fittings  71  while the collar  10  remains in position around the deer&#39;s neck. 
         [0022]    In operation, as shown in  FIG. 2 , deer attracted to a bait station  14  must enter an inlet  18  to access food in a food bin  16 . When the deer stretches its neck out to feed, a sensor  20  detects the deer&#39;s presence and a controller  22  directs two mechanical arms  24 ,  26  to converge in the direction of the arrows  32 ,  34  around the deer&#39;s neck. A male clasp  40  is loaded on one of the arms  24 , and a female clasp  60  is loaded on the opposite arm  26 . Pins  29  in each of the mechanical arms  24 ,  26  join with the breakaway fittings  71  on each corresponding clasp  40 ,  60  to hold the clasps  40 ,  60  in place on the mechanical arms  24 ,  26 . 
         [0023]    As the arms  24 ,  26  converge, the harpoon  50  of the male clasp  40  is directed into the conical receiving aperture  66  of the female clasp  60  so that the harpoon teeth  54  engage with the pawl  70  of the female clasp  60 .  FIG. 5  shows the clasps  40 ,  60  in the engaged position. Once the clasps  40 ,  60  are engaged, the arms  24 ,  26  begin to retract and the deer backs away from the bait station—thereby causing the pins  29  to pop out of the breakaway fittings  71  so that the deer separates from the bait station  14  with the collar  10  secured around the deer&#39;s neck. 
         [0024]    For the foregoing reasons, it is clear that the method and clasps described herein comprise an innovative collar attachment system. The current system may be modified in multiple ways and applied in various technological applications. The disclosed method and apparatus may be modified and customized as required by a specific operation or application, and the individual components may be modified and defined, as required, to achieve the desired result. 
         [0025]    Although the materials of construction are only generally described, they may include a variety of alternate compositions consistent with the function described herein. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.