The present invention relates to an animal tag for application to an animal. The present invention also relates a strip of such animal tags and an applicator for applying the animal tags to an animal.

It is desirable to tag animals so that each animal can be identified. This is particularly the case for livestock animals. It is a legal requirement in many countries, such as the UK, that livestock animals, for example, sheep, pigs, goats and cattle, are provided with a visible identification tag bearing a registration number. The identification tag is typically applied to the animal's ear and comprises a substantially planar portion where an identification or registration number can be written.

These tags typically take the form of two substantially planar portions which form a straight line in the open position and can be pivoted or folded relative to one another. At the other end from the pivot or fold a closure element is provided which can engage a corresponding receptacle formed in the other side of the tag. The closure element may also be referred to as a male portion and the receptacle may also be referred to as a female portion.

In use, to apply the animal tag, it is loaded into an applicator which folds the two portions of the tag relative to one another. The animal's ear is placed between the closure element - which has a sharp tip to penetrate the animal's ear smoothly - and the receptacle. The closure element passes through the animal's ear to engage the receptacle. In order to ensure the tag remains in place, the closure element typically has some form of ridge or waist portion at its end that engages a corresponding ridge in the receptacle so that once the closure element has engaged the receptacle the tag remains closed. Following application to an animal's ear and closure, the animal tag then remains in place on the animal's ear, where the identification number can be seen clearly and read on the tag.

In order to apply the tag more efficiently various designs of applicator have been proposed. Some accept a single animal tag at one time and resemble a pair of pliers. However, these tags can take some time to load with a new tag between each use, reducing the rate at which animals can be tagged. Applicators have also been proposed in which a strip of animal tags are loaded. An example of one such applicator can be found in WO-A- 02/23980. In the applicator of WO-A-02/23980 tags are loaded in a strip which extends out to one side of the applicator. In use, an operator closes a lever causing a push rod to rise and act against the cam surface of hammer. As the push rod acts on the hammer the hammer is rotated about a pivot point folding a tag to be folded so that the tag pierces an animal's ear and locks in the closed position. A cutting blade is attached to the hammer which cuts the folded tag away from the rest of the strip of tags once it has been closed. The next animal tag is then advanced by a ratchet mechanism through the engagement of a gear wheel with tags.

Although the applicator of WO-A-02/23980 enables several animal tags to be applied without requiring reloading of the applicator, the strip of tags extending to the side obscures the view of the animal's ear making it more difficult to ensure the tag is in the correct position before applying it. In addition, there is a risk that the cutting blade may injure the animal. The ratchet mechanism and gear wheel increases the complexity and cost of the device and has also been found to be susceptible to jamming if the strip of tags is slightly out of line. It would desirable to provide an improved animal tag and applicator system in which multiple tags can be applied without reloading the applicator.

There also exists a problem with known animal tags that they may not always be applied reliably. For example a tag may fail to close correctly, requiring removal and reapplication. This can cause distress to the animal. Existing tag applicators may allow an operator to close a tag too far, so that it traps part of an animal's ear, also causing distress to the animal.

It would be desirable to provide an improved animal tag and applicator system in which the welfare of the animals to which the animal tags are to be applied is improved. Accordingly, the present invention provides an animal tag having a closure element which is offset from a central fold axis, in the direction of the central fold axis. This improves visibility when a number of tags are loaded into an applicator.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal tag for identification of an animal comprising: a body portion that can be folded from an open position to a closed position about a central axis; and a closure element for holding the animal tag in the closed position; wherein the closure element is offset in the direction of the central axis from the position of the fold in the body portion along the central axis.

The offset may be any suitable value depending on the particular application. To give one example, the offset may be between 5 and 10 mm. The offset improves visibility of the jaws of an applicator when several tags are loaded into an applicator, so that the central axis of the tags is coaxial and oriented from the rear of the applicator to the front of the applicator.

Prior art applicators for a single tag offer good visibility because the tag is loaded into the jaws of the applicator so that its central axis is oriented from left to right of the jaws. The tag is then held inside the jaws of the applicator and does not adversely affect visibility. However, when several tags are provided in a strip or magazine, such as in WO-A- 02/23980, this causes the undeployed tags to extend at one side, limiting visibility and increasing the likelihood of deploying a tag in the wrong part the animal's ear causing distress.

According to the present invention, the offset of the closure element means that when the closure element is located in the jaws or actuator of an applicator, the body portion and the part of the body portion with the central axis of the tag do not extend perpendicularly blocking the view, but are set back, improving visibility. -A-

The body portion may be generally V or U shaped in the open position in plan view from a direction perpendicular to the central axis. This contrasts with the straight line shape of prior art single tags, and the straight line shape of each tag in the strip of tags disclosed in WO-A-02/23980. It will be appreciated that the body portion may take any shape that allow the offset to be realised, for example a chevron or stepped shape, nor does the shape have to be an exact "V" or "U" shape. When the shape is generally in the form of a "V", the central angle of the "V" is less than 180 degrees and preferably between 90 and 170 degrees.

Preferably, the body portion comprises at least one end portion with a straight surface that is perpendicular to the central axis. More preferably two end portions (one at each end of the tag) with a straight surface perpendicular to the central axis are provided. This allows the tag to be pushed by a force applied to the end portion in the direction of the central axis without also applying a moment to the tag, reducing the likelihood of the tag shifting sideways and jamming in an applicator. This is particularly advantageous when the tag has a "V" shape. In that case, if there was not a straight surface perpendicular to the central axis, the angled nature of the "V" could cause the tag to shift sideways if a force was applied to its end portions in the direction of the central axis.

Advantageously, the body portion may comprise a living hinge that defines the central axis. This allows the tag to be folded easily in a predetermined position. In some embodiments the closure element is formed from a different material than the body portion, so that it can be made sufficiently strong and sharp to pierce an animal's ear easily, while still allowing the body portion to benefit from the living hinge.

When a living hinge is used it has the further advantage that it can be arranged such that in the closed position the body portion immediately adjacent the hinge is maintained a predetermined minimum distance apart. This can be achieved by controlling the profile of the hinge itself (for example angling the surfaces immediately adjacent the hinge) and/or curving the body portion adjacent the hinge such that when the animal tag is closed the curve acts to ensure that a minimum distance between the two parts of the closed animal tag is maintained. In any of the above embodiments, the body portion may comprise a first substantially planar elongate portion that extends in a first direction and a second substantially planar elongate portion that extends in a second direction, wherein the first and second portion are joined by a hinge, which may be a living hinge, defining the central axis. In that case, the first direction and the second direction each define an angle of less than 90 degrees with the central axis. If the hinge is arranged to maintain a minimum distance apart using a curve, the curve is out of the plane of the first and second portions.

Tags of the first aspect of the present invention are particularly advantageous when combined with other animal tags to form a strip.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a strip of animal tags comprising: at least two animal tags as described above arranged in a row such that the central axis of all of the tags is coaxial and the body portion of each tag is generally parallel to an adjacent animal tag; and at least one connecting member between each adjacent animal tag.

A strip of animal tags allows the benefit of the offset closure improving visibility when a plurality of tags are loaded in an applicator to be achieved. If the tags have end portions with straight surfaces perpendicular to the central axis it allows the strip to be pushed by the end portions in the direction of the central axis without a tendency for the tags to move from side-to-side relative to each other reducing the likelihood that the tags will jam when they advanced by a pushing force. In some embodiments, the strip of animal tags may comprise at least four animal tags, more preferably ten animal tags.

Preferably, the at least one connecting member is located closer to the central axis than to an end portion of the body portion. The connection between the animal tags can cause an animal tag to twist during closure because of the restraining effect of the connecting member. If the animal tag twists it can result in the animal tag failing to close properly. Twisting has been found to be more of a problem when the closure element is offset from the central axis. Placing the connecting member closer to the central axis minimises this twisting effect and improves the reliability of closure.

In one embodiment, the at least one connecting member is adapted to break under a shearing force when an adjacent animal tag is folded into the closed position. This allows the strip of tags to be separated simply by the folding action itself, there is no need for a dedicated cutting blade to separate a closed animal tag as in WO-A-02/23980.

When the tags are separated by shearing, the body portion of each animal tag may further comprise a projection and a recess positioned such that a projection is adjacent a recess of an adjacent animal tag and wherein the at least one connecting member extends from the projection to the recess of an adjacent tag. This allows the connecting member to be reduced in length.

In one advantageous embodiment, the connecting member has a reduced cross sectional area at a point along its length such that when the connecting member is broken, the point at which it breaks ensures that substantially all the connecting member remains in the recess. It has been found that the stub of the broken connecting member remaining on the body portion can catch on the animal's ear. A recess for the stub of the broken member protects the animal from the stub, improving the welfare of animals to which the tags are applied. One way to control the break point of the connecting member is to taper it. Preferably, the smallest cross-sectional area is at the point the connecting member is connected to projection.

The strip of animal tags may further comprise a non-functional tag at one end of the row, wherein the non- functional tag either includes no closure mechanism or has a closure mechanism which does not hold the non-functional tag in the closed position. This improves the stability of the animal tag at the end of the row. It has been found that the last animal tag in a strip may fail to close properly because during closure it is not connected to other tags and the connection provides a stabilising effect during the closing action. The non-functional tag acts to stabilise the tag before it so that it can be closed reliably. In addition, because the non-functional tag has either no closure mechanism or a closure mechanism which does not hold the tag in the closed position, an operator can easily determine that the non-functional tag is not for application to an animal. It also allows the cost of a strip of animal tags to be reduced, it has been found that the last animal tag in the strip is generally not reliably closed so in use it may be discarded. The non-functional tag may omit the closure element, reducing the cost of production.

In one embodiment, the body portion of the non- functional tag is thicker in the direction of the central axis than the plurality of animal tags. This increases the stability of the nonfunctional tag when the animal tag next to it is closed.

The non- functional tag may comprise an end portion having a serrated surface. The serrated surface can engage a corresponding surface in the applicator and act to prevent translation of the non-functional tag towards the rear of the applicator, further improving stability.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an applicator for a plurality of animal tags according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator comprises: a front portion having an actuation mechanism for folding an animal tag into the closed position; first and second handle parts positioned to the rear of the front portion and configured for movement relative to each other about a pivot point, wherein at least one of the first and second handle parts is connected to the actuation mechanism; and a storage portion for storing the plurality of animal tags with their central axes coaxial and in a direction from the front portion to a rear end of the applicator, wherein the storage portion comprises a resilient element for exerting a force on the plurality of animal tags to urge them towards the actuation mechanism. In the simplest construction, the actuation mechanism can simply be an extension of the handles themselves, so that the handles form part of a mechanism similar to pliers. The resilient element may be an elastomer or a spring, for example a helical spring.

This aspect of the invention allows a plurality of animal tags to be stored so that their central axes are aligned from the front to the back of the applicator. The tags stored within the storage means therefore extend towards the rear of the applicator, not to the side as in WO-A-02/23980. This improves the visibility around the actuation mechanism so that the animal tag can be applied more accurately.

The resilient element provides a simple and reliable way of advancing tags to the actuation mechanism. As another advantage, the resilient element allows use of the present invention both with animal tags joined by a connecting member which breaks under a shearing force and with individual animal tags that are not connected.

The actuation mechanism may further comprise an extension for supporting the body portion of the end animal tag. The end animal tag is the animal tag located in the actuation mechanism. The extension provides support to the body portion of the animal tag during closure to prevent twisting. It is particularly beneficial when the application is used with a tag having an offset closure element as discussed above.

The storage portion may further comprise an extension for supporting the body portion of a tag immediately adjacent the end animal tag. This helps to prevent any connection between the animal tags causing twisting as the animal tag in the actuation mechanism is closed. As an additional benefit it also ensures that the shearing force is applied to break any connecting member that may be present between the animal tag in the actuation mechanism and the immediately adjacent animal tag.

The storage portion may further comprise a serrated surface. This can engage a corresponding serrated portion on an animal tag stored in the storage portion, which may be a non- functional tag as discussed above. The serrated surface preferably has a profile such that it allows an animal tag to be advanced towards the actuation mechanism but resists the movement of the animal tag towards the rear of the applicator. This provides further stability during closure of an animal tag by the actuation mechanism, particularly when there are few animal tags remaining in the storage portion. This is because as fewer animal tags remain in the storage position, the resilient element will be less compressed and thus will exert less of a force. The serrated portion provides additional resistance against the animal tags moving backwards, increasing stability.

The actuation mechanism may further comprise at least one linking member attached to a handle part for converting the arced motion of the handle part into a generally straight motion. This reduces twisting of the animal tag during closure increasing the reliability of the closure.

In prior art single tag applicators and in the applicator of WO-A-02/23980 the animal tag is held within the applicator so that its central folding axis is parallel to the pivot axis of the applicator handles. Thus, any arc due to the pivotal connection of the handle members is oriented with the natural arc of the animal tag as it is folded. In the applicator of the present invention the central axis of the animal tag is instead aligned with the front-rear direction of the applicator, and therefore is generally perpendicular to the axis of the pivot. This has been found to sometimes cause unreliable closure if the handle members are used to provide the closure action directly because the arc of this closure action is perpendicular to the natural arc of the animal tag during folding. The linking member allows the arced motion to be converted into a substantially straight motion, avoiding this problem.

In one embodiment, the actuation mechanism comprises a side surface which defines an opening for ejection of a closed animal tag. This enables a closed animal tag to be released from the actuation mechanism easily.

To further improve the ease of release of a closed animal tag from the actuation mechanism, it may further comprise an end surface which is curved in two directions adjacent the side opening. The reference to curved in two directions means that the curve is curved in two different planes. For example, an example of a curve in one direction is the surface of a cylinder and an example of a curve in two directions is the surface of a sphere.

The applicator may comprise a marking on its outer surface for giving a visual indication of the location of the tag within the actuation means. The marking may simply be a dot or other marker of a different colour to the outer surface of the applicator, alternatively the marker can take different forms such as a cross-hair. It can be difficult to visualise exactly where the animal tag will pierce an animal's ear. This can cause difficulties aligning the tag with the area of the ear that will cause minimal distress to the animal. The marking assists in aligning the applicator accurately.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an animal tag comprising: a body portion that can be folded from an open position to a closed position about a central axis; and a closure mechanism for holding the animal tag in the closed position; wherein the body portion comprises a living hinge that defines the central axis.

The living hinge enables the central axis to be defined accurately with a low cost of manufacture.

As a further advantage, a living hinge may be configured such that in the closed position the body portion immediately adjacent the hinge is maintained a predetermined minimum distance apart. It will be appreciated that a variety of configurations can achieve this, including angling the surfaces immediately adjacent the hinge or curving the body portion of the tag adjacent the hinge.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where like reference numerals denote like parts and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an animal tag according to a first embodiment of the present invention in an open position;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the animal tag of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the animal tag of Figure 1 ; Figure 4 is an end view of the animal tag of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is an end view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a partially closed position;

Figure 6 is a side view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a partially closed position;

Figure 7 is an end view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a partially closed position from the opposite direction to Figure 5; Figure 8 is a plan view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a partially closed position;

Figure 9 is an end view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a closed position;

Figure 10 is a side view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a closed position;

Figure 11 is an end view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a closed position from the opposite direction to Figure 9; Figure 12 is a plan view of the animal tag of Figure 1 in a closed position;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a non-functional tag according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 14 is a side view of the non- functional tag of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is an end view of the non-functional tag of Figure 13; Figure 16 is a plan view of the non- functional tag of Figure 13;

Figure 17 is a plan view of a strip of animal tags according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 18 is a side view of the strip of animal tags of Figure 17;

Figure 19 is an end view of the strip of animal tags of Figure 17; Figure 20 is a perspective view of an applicator for animal tags according a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 21 is a side view of the applicator of Figure 20;

Figure 22 is a side view of the applicator of Figure 20 from the opposite direction of Figure

21 ; Figure 23 is a perspective view of the applicator of Figure 20 with one of the body panels removed;

Figure 24 is a side view of the applicator of Figure 20 with two body panels removed. An animal tag 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is depicted in an open position in perspective view in Figure 1. Plan, side and end views of the animal tag 2 are depicted in Figures 2 to 4, respectively. The animal tag 2 comprises a body portion 4 with a central hinge 6 defining a central axis 7 about which the body portion 4 can be folded. The body portion 4 comprises a first substantially planar member 8 extending from the central hinge 6 in a first direction of elongation. A second substantially planar member 10 extends from the opposite side of the central hinge 6 in a second direction of elongation. The first and second direction of elongation forms an angle of less than 90 degrees with the central axis 7. The first and second substantially planar members 8,10 are mirror symmetric about the central axis 7.

The first substantially planar member 8 comprises a closure element 16 at its end away from the hinge. The second substantially planar member 10 comprises a receptacle 20 at its end away from the hinge. Because the first and second direction of elongation is at an angle of less than 90 degrees with the central axis 7, the closure element 16 and the receptacle 20 are both offset from the hinge 6 in the direction of the central axis. Both the closure element 16 and receptacle 20 include surfaces 22, 24 that are perpendicular to the central axis 7.

The closure element 16 comprises a sharp tip 26 followed by a section of reduced diameter forming a waist 28. As can best be seen in the side view of Figure 3, the closure element 16 is curved. The curve has a radius of curvature such that then the animal tag 2 is folded about the central axis 7, the tip 26 points in a direction which is tangential to the arc proscribed by the tip 26 as it moves towards the receptacle 20. A base portion 30 of the closure element 16 comprises guiding features and surfaces which can engage corresponding features in an applicator (described in more detail below) to assist movement of the tag in the direction of the central axis.

The receptacle 20 comprises an opening 32. A ridge 34 is formed inside the opening 32. The size of the opening 32 is chosen such so that it is slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the closure element 16. The ridge 34 is smaller than the maximum diameter of the closure element 16 but larger than the diameter of the waist 28 such that it can engage the waist to retain the animal tag 2 in the closed position.

Both the first and second substantially planar members 8, 10 comprise a protrusion 12 and a recess 14 formed in the plane of the substantially planar member. The protrusion 12 and recess 14 are generally opposite each other in the direction of the central axis 7 and are located closer to the hinge 6 than to the ends of the animal tag 2.

The central hinge 6 is a live or living hinge integrally formed with the body portion 4. The central hinge 6 is configured such that when the tag is folded into the closed position, the two substantially planar members 8,10 are maintained a predetermined distance apart, for example, 3 to 10 mm, more preferably about 5 mm apart. This is achieved by the curved sections 36 which join the substantially planar members 8, 10 to the hinge 6. Curved sections 36 are curved out of the plane of the substantially planar member and extend through an angle of approximately 90 degrees. When the animal tag 2 is closed (as will be discussed in more detail below) the curved sections together form an arc of approximately 180 degrees that maintains the substantially planar members 8, 10 a minimum distance apart adjacent the central hinge 6.

It can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that then animal tag 2 of the first embodiment has a general "V" shape when viewed from top. In alternative embodiments different configurations may be used, for example the animal tag may have a "U" shape or some form of stepped shape to produce the offset of the ends from the central hinge.

Either or both of the first and second substantially planar members 8,10 is marked with an indicia allowing an animal to be indentified once the tag has been applied. The indicia may be numeric or alphanumeric as well as comprising other symbols or characters. The indicia can be printed or written using ink or otherwise formed, for example by engraving or embossing the surface.

In this embodiment the closure element 16 is formed from a different material to the body portion 4. This allows the closure element to have different material properties from the body portion 4. The body portion is preferably integrally formed from a single piece of moulded plastics material, for example, polyethylene, polyurethane or polypropylene which allows the central hinge 6 to be formed as a living hinge. Closure element 16 is preferably formed from a harder material than the body portion, for example glass-filled nylon. Alternative materials may also be used providing that the closure element 16 is sufficiently strong and hard to pierce an animal's ear and that the body portion 4 is sufficiently resilient. In some embodiments the body portion and closure element may be integrally formed from the same material.

In an alternative embodiment the central hinge 6 may be formed from a connection between two separate parts and not integrally formed with the body portion 4. In other alternative embodiments the protrusion and recess may be omitted and the closure element may be straight and not curved.

In use the animal tag 2 is closed by folding the closure element 16 towards the receptacle 20. The hinge 6 forms a natural fold line about which the body portion pivots.

Figures 5 to 8 show the animal tag 2 in a state of partial closure. It can be seen how the closure element 16 approaches the receptacle 20.

Figures 9 to 12 depict the animal tag 2 when it has been closed and the closure element 16 has engaged the receptacle 20. The closure element 16 is retained in the receptacle by the engagement of the waist 28 with the ridge 34 such that the animal tag 2 cannot be opened easily. Figures 9 to 11 clearly show how the curved sections 36 ensure that the substantially planar members 8, 10 remain at least a minimum distance apart.

Figure 13 depicts a perspective view of a non- functional tag 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figures 14 to 16 depict side, end and plan views, respectively, of the non-functional tag 40. The construction of the non- functional tag 40 is the same as the first embodiment save as described below. The non- functional tag does not include a closure element or receptacle at its ends. Instead, the end with the receptacle in the first embodiment is replaced with the toothed or serrated portion 42. This comprises several teeth 44, in this embodiment there are four teeth 44 although other embodiments may have fewer or more. Each tooth 44 has an angled face 46 and a straight face 48.

The closure element of the first embodiment is replaced with dummy element 50 that provides only a base portion with guiding features and surfaces that can engage corresponding features in an applicator to assist movement of the non- functional tag 40 in the direction of the central axis.

The substantially planar members 52, 54 of the non- functional tag 40 are enlarged in width in the direction of the central axis 51 compared with the animal tag 2 of the first embodiment.

In alternative embodiments of the non- functional tag, the substantially planar members may be same width as the animal tag of the first embodiment. A closure element may also be provided instead of the dummy portion 50, in that case the tag will still be nonfunctional because there is no receptacle for the closure element to engage.

Figure 17 depicts a plan view of a strip of tags 60 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Figures 18 and 19 depict a side view and an end view, respectively, of the strip of tags 60. The strip of tags 60 is formed from a plurality of the animal tags 2 of the first embodiment and one non-functional tag 40 of the second embodiment. In this embodiment the strip of tags 60 comprises ten animal tags 2, although fewer or more may be provided in other embodiments.

The animal tags 2 and non-functional tag 40 are arranged in row such that their central axes 7 are coaxial in the sense that all the axes are aligned along the same line. The body portion of each animal tag 2 is generally parallel to each adjacent animal tag 2 or the nonfunctional tag 40. Non- functional tag 40 is positioned at one end of the row.

Each animal tag is joined to the adjacent tags by two connecting members 62. Each connecting member 62 extends from a recess on the animal tag 2 to a protrusion on the adjacent animal tag 2 or non-functional tag 40. The connecting member is preferably manufactured from the same material as the body portion of the animal tags 2 and the nonfunctional tag 40, allowing the entire strip of animal tags 2 to be moulded as one piece.

In use, the connecting member is configured to break under a shearing force so that the end animal tag 2 can be removed from the strip of tags 60 simply by folding the end animal tag to the closed position. It is also advantageous to control the cross-sectional area of the connecting member so that the point along its length at which it breaks is predetermined. In a preferred embodiment this is done by tapering the connecting member so that its narrowest point is immediately adjacent a protrusion.

In alternate embodiments of the strip of animal tags only one connecting member may be provided between adjacent tags. The non-functional tag may not be connected to an animal tag. In that case it can be reused with different strips of tags.

An applicator for applying the animal tags will now be described. Figure 20 depicts an applicator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A side view is depicted in Figure 21 and another side view, from the opposite side, is depicted in Figure 22. Figures 23 and 24 depict the applicator in a partially disassembled state so that its construction and operation can be understood more clearly.

The applicator 70 comprises first and second handle parts 72, 74 located towards a rear end of the applicator and connected for pivotal movement relative to each other about a pivot point 76 (not visible in Figures 20 and 21, mostly clearly visible in Figure 22). A storage portion 78 extends towards the front of the applicator from the first and second handle parts 72, 74. At the front of the storage portion 78 is an actuation mechanism (described in more detail later). As shown in Figures 20-22 the majority of the actuation mechanism and the storage portion is hidden by an outer casing. The outer casing is in two parts 80, one for the each side of the applicator 70, split along the front-rear direction. The casing defines an opening 79 through which a closed animal tag can be released without requiring the actuation mechanism to open fully. To further assist release of a closed tag, a double curved surface 81 extends from the opening to the front of the applicator 70. The outer casing comprises a visual marker 82 on its upper surface positioned directly above the actuation mechanism so that its position indicates the position of the actuation mechanism and hence the position where a tag will be closed and pierce an animal's ear in use.

Figure 23 depicts a perspective view of the applicator 70 when the casing part 80 which covers the storage portion 78 has been removed. This allows the construction of the storage portion 78 to be understood in more detail. A supporting projection 84 extends from the handle parts 72, 74 to the actuation mechanism. The supporting projection 84 defines two generally planar surfaces which are angled relative to each other support a partially folded strip 60 of animal tags. (The strip of animal tags is not shown for clarity). The angle between the two generally planar surfaces is typically between 30 and 40 degrees, 36 degrees in this embodiment, although other values may be used in other embodiments. In order to accommodate the closure elements of the animal tags, the supporting projection 84 also defines a channel 86 through which the closure elements can pass.

A lower part of the storage portion 78 defines a channel for receiving the end of an animal tag comprising the receptacle for the closure element. At the front end of this channel, adjacent the actuation mechanism, a serrated portion 87 is provided which can engage the serrations on a non-functional tag. In use, the serrated portion 87 will engage the serrated portion on a non- functional tag because the elasticity of the non-functional tag will apply a force urging it from the partially folded position to the open position, engaging the serrated portion.

Towards the top of the applicator 70 is a resilient member which in this embodiment is a helical spring 88 mounted around a rod. A pushing member 90 is attached to the helical spring 88 such that the helical spring exerts a force on the pushing member 90 directed from the rear of the applicator 70 towards the front. The pushing member 90 comprises a finger tab 92 and an engaging surface 94. In use, the finger tab 92 can be used to move the pushing member 90 toward the rear of the applicator to enable a strip of tags to be loaded. The pushing surface normally exerts a force on any tags loaded in the applicator 70 to urge them towards the front of the applicator 70 and the actuation mechanism.

The actuation mechanism can be most easily understood with reference to Figure 24, which shows the applicator 70 with both of the casing parts removed. The first handle part 72 extends the length of the applicator 70 and forms the lower part 96 of the actuation mechanism which, in use, supports the receptacle of the animal tag. The second handle part 74 is connected to actuator 98 via a linkage 100. Actuator 98 is configured to push the closure element of an animal tag in the actuation mechanism downwards. To support the animal tag during this motion, the actuator comprises an extension 99 (best seen in Figure 20). Linkage 100 comprises a pin received in a slot on the second handle part. The actuator 98 is constrained to move in a vertical direction and the linkage 100 converts the arced motion of the end of the second handle part into a straight, vertical motion. The linkage 100 therefore also functions as a cam to some extent. Depending on the requirements for a particular animal, this can allow the motion of the actuator to be tailored for either faster, lower torque motion or slower, higher torque motion at the point it pushes the closure element of an animal tag through an animal's ear.

Also visible in Figure 24 is the torsion spring 102 which applies a force to keep the first and second handle parts 72, 74 apart from each other and the actuation mechanism open (as depicted in Figures 20-24) in the absence of an applied force to close the first and second handle parts 72, 74.

In use, an operator first grips the finger tab 92 and moves the pushing member 90 towards the rear of the applicator. A strip of animal tags can then be inserted into the storage portion 78 so that the supporting projection 84 supports them in a partially closed position. This will require partial folding of the strip of tags from the flat open position in which they are supplied. When the strip of tags have been inserted the operator releases the finger tab 92 and the pushing member 90 engages the rear-most tag with its engaging surface 94 under the force of the helical spring. This forces the front-most tag into the actuation mechanism so that the front-most tag is ready to be deployed. To apply a tag to an animal the operator positions the actuation mechanism over an animal's ear so that the animal's ear is located between the lower part 96 and the actuator 98. Visual marker 82 can assist this positioning. The operator then squeezes the first and second handle parts 72, 74 towards each other, moving the actuator 98 downwards. This moves the closure element of an animal tag in the actuation mechanism towards the receptacle of the animal tag. At some point in the movement, the closure element will pierce and pass through the animal's ear and then continue to engage the receptacle. The animal tag is then held closed by the interaction between the waist of the closure element and the ridge in the receptacle. The folding of the animal tag in the actuation mechanism will also have created a shearing force to break the connecting member with the adjacent animal tag so that the closed animal tag is no longer connected to the strip of animal tags. Release of the animal tag from the applicator is then achieved through the side opening 79, assisted by the double curved surface 81. Release is also assisted if the operator allows the first and second handle parts to move apart under the action of the torsion spring but the side opening 79 means that this is not essential.

Once the applied tag has been released, the action of the pushing member advances the next tag in the strip into the actuation mechanism ready for application.

As fewer animal tags remain, the pusher member will exert less force on the strip of animal tags because the helical spring is compressed less. To compensate for this the serrated portion of non-functional tag at the rear end of the strip engages the serrated portion 87 of the applicator 70. This enhances the stability of the animal tag within the applicator by resisting movement towards the rear of the applicator.

It will be appreciated that while the use of the applicator with a strip of tags joined with a connecting member has been described, it can also be used with individual animal tags that are loaded one after another into the storage portion. The applicator can also be used with a strip of tags that does not include the non-functional member, although this is less preferred because the final tags in strip are then applied less reliably. Thus, the present invention provides an animal tag, strip of animal tags and an applicator for the tags which allows the animal tags to be applied to animals quickly without needing to reload the applicator after each application. Further the animal tag and applicator contain features that improve the engagement of the closure element with the receptacle, reducing misapplication of the tag. The tag and applicator also comprise features to safeguard the welfare of the animals to be tagged and reduce distress to the animal.