Animal identification tag application tool

Claim 1

An animal identification tag applicator tool for applying a two piece animal identification tag assembly to the ear of an animal and which tag assembly comprises an identification tag member made of one piece of relatively soft flexible plastic material including: a base portion having a relatively thin flexible flange portion and a relatively thin reinforcement rib portion with a connecting hole extending through the base portion and the reinforcement rib portion, and an identification portion extending transversely outwardly from said base portion adjacent one peripheral edge thereof and being connected thereto by a flange portion aligned with and forming a continuation of said reinforcement rib portion; and which tag assembly further comprises a connecting tag member made of one piece of relatively hard plastic material including: a relatively thin base portion with a shaft portion extending transversely outwardly therefrom and an enlarged piercing head portion on the outer end of said shaft portion defining an abuttment surface larger than said shaft portion and said connecting hole; and said applicator tool comprising: first and second pivotally connected lever means being relatively movable between an open tag loading position and a closed tag assembling position for locating the identification tag member in juxtaposition to the outer surface of the upper portion of the animal ear and the connecting tag member in juxtaposition to the inner surface of the upper portion of the animal ear and for applying force to and connecting the identification member and the connecting tag member on the animal ear by driving the head portion and the shaft portion through the ear of an animal and into and through the hole in the identification tag member; first and second tag member mounting and supporting means associated with common end portions of said lever means for mounting and supporting the tag members on said lever means; identification tag member holding slot means associated with said first tag member mounting and supporting means for slidably frictionally releasably receiving the base portion of the identification member in the loading position and for holding the identification member during movement from the loading position to the assembling position during application of assembling forces and for releasing the identification member and enabling sliding movement and withdrawal of the identification member by application of force transverse to the direction of application of the assembling forces after assembly of the identification member and the connecting member; said identification tag member holding slot means having a slot portion aligned with the hole in the reinforcement rib portion and the head portion during assembly, said slot portion having a size such as to receive the head portion after the head portion passes through the hole in the reinforcement rib portion in the assembling position; and resilient cushion and support means mounted in said slot portion for abutting the surface portions of said reinforcement rib portion circumjacent the hole therein during passage of the head portion through the hole, said resilient cushion and support means having a hole therein aligned with the hole in the reinforcement rib portion to receive the head portion.