US670099A - Cattle-tag. - Google Patents

Description

No. 670,099. Patented mar. |9,'|9o|.

A. F. CALLISDN & W. S. BING.

cATTLE TAG.

(Application Bled Nov. 10, 1900 (No Modal.)

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Unirrnn Sterns ABNER F. CALLISON AND VILLIAM S. BING, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

CATTLE-TAG.

SPECZFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,099, dated March 19, 1901. Application filed November lO, 1900. Serial No. 86,'090. (No model.)

To all whom t may oon/cern:

Be it known that we, Annan F. CALLIsoN and VILLIAM S. BING, citizens of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented a new and useful Cattle-Tag, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to a novel cattle-tag or identifying-marker of that class which are attached to the ear of an animal and bear identifying characters-such, for instance, as the name of the owner of the cattle or his private brand. These ear-tags have been constructed in many different forms and various ways oi' applying them have been devised; but ordinarily the attachment of the tag to the ear is an exceedingly painful operation, due in great measure to the lack of provision for the escape of such exudaiions as necessarily accumulate in the wound. Furthermore, tags of the particular class to which the present invention belongs have usually been hung in the animals ear upon a rivet or bolt passed through the ear and connecting the ends of the U-shaped tag, and whenever the tag has been affixed by an integral prong the tendency has been to clamp the opposite side portions of the tag against the ear with such force as to interfere with the proper circulation and to set up more or less irritation.

Having these facts in mind, one object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive tag designed to be stamped from a single piece of metal and comprising a U- shaped body portion having a securing-prong at one end and an opening at the other end designed for the reception of the prong, the end of which is upset to secure the tag in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide the securing-prong with a thin cutting or penetrating end, at the base of which are formed a pair of shoulders, which limit the movement of the sides of the tag to prevent the pinching of the ear and which are formed by imparting a transverse curvature to the prong proper, which curvature produces a channel alined with the opening in the end of the tag and designed to permit the exudations from the Wound to escape.

To the accomplishment of these objects the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the tag, to be hereinafter described,illustrated in the accom panyingdrawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a general view illustrating the application of our tag tothe ear of an animal. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the tag in position in an afiXing-tool 6o and ready to be applied to the ear. Fig. Sis a similar View showing the tag attached to the ear and the cutting edge upset. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tag on a somewhatenlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the 65 tag in its applied position. Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of the opposite sides of the tag applied, and Fig. 8 is a view of the blank from which the tag is made.

Referring to the numerals employed to des- 7o yignate corresponding parts in the several views, l indicates the ear of an animal to which the tag2 is designed to be affixed. The tag is preferably struck from a single piece of metal and is formed at one end with a transverse aperture 3 and at its opposite end with a securing-prong-t, preferably somewhat narrower than the tag and terminating in a still narrower and suitably-sharpened penetrating-blade or cutter 5. In preparing the 8o tag for the trade it is preferably bent into approximately' U shape to define side portions 6 and 7, upon which are stamped the identifying characters, and which, as shown in the drawings, are intended to receive a portion of the animals ear between them. The securing-prong 4 is bent substantially at right angles to the side 7, from which it springs, and is disposed opposite the opening 3 to insure its passage therethrough when the Sides 9o of the tag are brought together by an obvious manipulation of the marker-affixing tool,

as illustrated in the drawings.

The peculiar form of the securing-prong 4 constitutes an essential feature of our invention, and it will be noted that said prong is given a transverse curvature Which at its under or convex side imparts to it a smooth curved bearing-surface 8 and forms a pair of longitudinal ribs 9 and 10 and an intermedi- Ioo ate longitudinal concavity or channel ll, the utility of which will appear more fully hereinafter. The ends of the ribs 9 and 10 are sharpened to constitute cutting edges 12 and 13, forming eontinuations of the sharp edge of the blade 5, so that the incision made in the animals ear will be equal to the greatest transverse dimensions ofthe securing-prong, which, as stated, is designed to be forced through the animalsear by the manipulation of the aiiixing-tool.. This provision for an incision coextensive with the transverse dimensions of `the prong is essential, because otherwise the forcing ot the prong through the ear would effect the tearing of the latter, which would obviously be exceedingly painful and would be likely to induce infiammation prohibitive of the use of the marker. It Will further appear that the provision of the comparatively narrow cutting-blade 5 not only permits the ends of the ribs 9 and 10 to be utilized as cutting edges, but the ends of these ribs also constitute shoulders, which bear against the side 6 of the marker when the reduced end or blade 5 is passed through and upset behind said side, and it is therefore impossible to compress the marker to an injurious extent upon the ear.

In applying` the tag it is placed between the jaws of the aifixing-tool, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and is retained by its inherent resiliency, with the aperture 3 disposed opposite an upsetting-groove in one of the jaws. rlhe ear of the animal is now pre sented between the sides of the tag and the jaws of the aiiixing-tool are forced together. This operation will first cause the cutting blade or end 5 of the retaining-prong to pierce the animals ear, andthe cutting edges 12 and 13 will subsequently enlarge the incision to permit the prong 4 to be forced through the ear without tearing the latter. After passing through the ear the reduced end 5 of the prong will pass through the opening 3 in the side G of the tag and will upset against the outer face of the tag at the lower side of the aperture 3-that is to say, at that side opposite the channel or concavity ll.

Inasmuch as the opening 3 is made considerably wider than the reduced end 5, the

y channel l1 along the upper or outer face of the prong will open at one end through the aperture 3 behind the upset end 5, and as the shoulders formed by the ends of the ribs 8 and 9 abut against the inner face of the side 6 the tag will be retained in position upon the ear of the animal and will be provided with a Yduct-to wit, the channel 11-for the escape of the exudation of the wound and for the free circulation of air to prevent heating and festering of the latter.

From the foregoing it will be observed that we have invented a simple, inexpensive, and eiicient marking-tag which may be applied in a comparatively painless mannerand which when so applied will beV securely retained against accidental displacement; but while the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated is perhaps preferable it is evident that the general design of the tag may be varied in accordance with the desires of the individual user, and We therefore reserve the right to effect such variations as may fall properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

'What we claim is l. A cattle-tag provided with an opening and with a securing-prong having ribs at its opposite sides, the end of said prong beyond the ribs constituting a cutting-blade, and the ends of the ribs forming continuations of the cutting edge of saidv blade.

2. A cattle-tag provided with an opening` and with a securing prong transversely curved to define ribs at opposite sides of the prong and having a reduced extremity constituting a cutting-blade, the ends ofthe ribs constituting continuar-ions of the cutting edge of said blade, whereby the incision in the animals ear will be equal to the greatest transverse dimensions of the prong.

3. A cattle-tag constructed from a single piece ot' metal and bent into substantially U shape to define opposed side portions, one of which is provided with an aperture adjacent to its end, anda securing-prong extendint,r at right angles to the end of theother side of the tag and having a transverse cur vature delining parallel ribs having sharpened end edges constituting shoulders, said prong being provided with a reduced end constituting a cuttingblade and designed to be passed through the opening in the tag and upset against the outer face of the latter, the transverse curvature of the prong serving to define a duct or channel permitting the escape of eXudations from the earof the animal.

4:. A cattle-tag comprising two opposed side portions one of which is provided with an opening and a securing-prong disposed in angular relation to the other side portion opposite the opening, said prong being transversely curved and having a reduced eXtremity constituting a cutting-blade designed to make an incision in the ear of the animal for the reception of the prong and to be subsequently passed through and upset behind the opposed side portion of the tag.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto axed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ABNER F. CALLISON. WILLIAM S. BING.

Witnesses:

VIRGE P. HIsKnY, J. M. HAMILTON.

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