Animal tag applicator

Abstract

Described are an animal tag applicator, a device for advancing a strip of animal tags, a leg bending die for bending the legs of animal tags, and methods for applying an animal tag to a body part of an animal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising the following steps:
 (a) supporting a tag strip comprising tags having respective pairs of tag legs that are outwardly extending so that the tag strip and the respective pairs of tag legs lie generally flat along at 0 degree reference plane on an anvil, and   (b) rotating a first pincher and a second pincher in opposite rotational directions to contact a pair of tag legs of one tag of the tag strip and bend the pair of tag legs on opposite sides of the anvil to thereby bend each leg of the pair of tag legs beyond 90 degrees relative to the reference plane.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises bending the pair of tag legs into two undercuts on opposite sides of the anvil to thereby bend each leg of the pair of tag legs beyond 90 degrees relative to the reference plane. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the following step:
 (c) manipulating the tag legs to bend the legs less than 90 degrees relative to the reference plane prior to step (b).   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the following step:
 (c) inserting each leg of the pair of tag legs through a body part of an animal and securing each leg therein.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the tag legs are secured by bending each leg under the body part of the animal. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the body part is an ear of the animal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the animal is a rodent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the following step:
 (c) advancing the tag strip from a tag cartridge during step (a).   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the following step:
 (c) shearing the one tag from the tag strip after step (b).   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the each of the tags has human-readable indicia thereon. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the human-readable indicia comprises alpha-numeric indicia. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the tags has machine-readable indicia thereon. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the machine-readable indicia comprises at least one member of the group consisting of: a one-dimensional bar code and a 2D bar code. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the each of the tags includes an RFID tag.