Patent ID: 8015689

Claim:
A protective assembly for a tag tool comprising: a shoe comprising a shoe bore extending through a distal end of the shoe, the shoe adapted to attach to a tag tool having a tag tool needle extending from the tool, the shoe bore having a centerline substantially aligned with a longitudinal dimension of the tag tool needle; a shoe spring coupled to the shoe; a tag spring coupled to the shoe adjacent the shoe spring, wherein distal ends of the shoe spring and tag spring define an opening to receive a product tag therebetween, the distal end of the tag spring adjacent the shoe, the distal end of the tag spring and the shoe defining a slot to receive a product material therebetween; and a thimble coupled to the shoe and adapted to move through the shoe bore in response to a force applied to a distal end of the thimble and transmit at least a portion of the force to the tag spring and the shoe spring.