Untitled record

NLP189581A

Method for connecting ear tag parts for cattle

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for connecting ear tag parts for cattle. Ear tag parts 5 of cattle are connected in order to form a series which can easily be introduced into an ear tag tong. The ear tag parts are then torn apart or cut loose from the array by the ear tag tongs and inserted into the ear of the cattle to form an ear tag.

Applicant's Dutch patent 2003148 discloses a method for connecting ear tag parts for cattle to a welding device. The welding device comprises a welding table and a sonotrode disposed above the welding table. A number of ear tag parts are applied to the welding table.

The ear tag parts are provided with ear tag plates which abut each other along a part of the circumference. The sonotrode transmits vibrations at an ultrasonic frequency at the location of the abutment between the ear tag plates, causing heat to develop there which fuses the material locally in a melt bath. After the melt bath has solidified, a weld connection is established between two consecutive ear tag parts.

The shape of the solidified melt bath is dependent on the amount of material that passes from both ear tag plates into the melt bath. Due to inaccurate positioning or incorrect contact of the ear tag plates or due to irregularities in shape or material thickness of the ear tag plates, the final shape of the solidified melt bath, and hence the strength of the weld connection, is difficult to predict. Especially when connecting long series of continuous ear tag parts, the uniformity of the weld connections between the successive ear tag parts cannot be guaranteed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a welding device for connecting ear tag parts for cattle, with which uniformity of the welding connections between successive ear tag parts can be promoted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides from a first aspect a method for connecting ear tag parts for cattle to a welding device, the welding device comprising a sonotrode provided with a head for transmitting ultrasonic vibrations to the ear tags to be connected, the head of the sonotrode is provided with a main surface and flow channels recessed relative to the main surface, the method comprising the steps of bringing two ear tag parts together, placing the sonotrode between the two ear tag parts, bringing the head into abutting contact with the two ear tag parts, energizing the welding device for generating ultrasonic vibrations via the abutting contact between the head and the two ear tag parts in the material of the two ear tag parts, causing the material of the two ear tag parts to merge into one another as a result of the heat development in a melting bath, wherein the molten material spreads through the flow channels of the head. The spread of the material can bring about a uniform connection between the two immediately consecutive ear tag parts.

In one embodiment the melting bath, after solidification of the molten material, forms a weld connection between the two ear tag parts, the shape of which is substantially the negative of the shape of the head of the sonotrode. The head of the sonotrode forms the melting bath to a certain shape that can contribute to the strength and stiffness of the weld connection.

In one embodiment, the flow channels divide the main surface over the full width between the peripheral edges. The division of the main surface of the head of the sonotrode translates into upright ribs in the plane of the weld joint, which can contribute to the strength and stiffness of the weld joint.

In one embodiment, the flow channels extend parallel to the main surface crosswise through the head and the flow channels are in communication with each other at the location of the crossings. The crosswise division of the main surface of the head of the sonotrode translates into crosswise raised and mutually connected ribs in the plane of the weld joint, which can contribute to the strength and rigidity of the weld joint.

In one embodiment, the flow channels divide the main surface according to a grid pattern or a wafer pattern. The subdivision of the main surface of the head of the sonotrode according to a grid pattern or a wafer pattern translates into ribs in a plane of the weld joint that rise according to a grid pattern or a wafer pattern, which can contribute to the strength and stiffness of the weld joint.

In one embodiment, the ear tag parts are provided with plates, the plates being placed in abutting contact with each other in the step of bringing the ear tag parts together, the head being brought into abutting contact with the two ear tag parts at the abutment site contact between the plates of the ear tag parts. The head can fuse the material of both ear tag parts at the location of the overlap so that it can flow into each other.

In one embodiment the plates partially overlap each other, the head being brought into abutting contact with the two ear tag parts at the location of the overlap. By placing the plates on top of each other in tiles or overlapping, more material is present directly under the head than if the plates were to lie next to each other in adjacent contact. As a result, more material under the head can melt into the melt bath, so that a better weld connection can be obtained.

In one embodiment, the method simultaneously with the step of fusing the material of the two ear tag parts together in a melting bath comprises the step of bringing the ear tag plates closer together in the same plane. By moving the plates towards each other during the fusing, more material comes under the head during a period of time than if the plates were to remain in adjacent contact next to each other. As a result, more material under the head can melt into the melt bath, so that a better weld connection can be obtained.

In one embodiment, the molten material dispersed through the flow channels extends beyond the original melting bath. The resulting welded connection can interconnect the ear tag parts over a larger portion, which can provide a stronger connection.

In one embodiment the method is provided with one or more of the characterizing measures described in the attached description and / or shown in the attached drawings.

The aspects and measures described in this description and claims of the application and / or shown in the drawings of this application can, where possible, also be applied separately from each other. Those individual aspects and other aspects may be the subject of split-off patent applications directed to them. This applies in particular to the measures and aspects that are described per se in the subclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the attached schematic drawings. Shown is:

Figure 1A is a bottom view of a welding device and a series of male ear tag parts for cattle according to an embodiment of the invention;

<td></td><td>figure</td><td>1B</td><td>a</td><td>top view</td><td>from</td><td>the</td><td>welding device</td>

<td>according to</td><td>Figure 1A;</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td></td><td>figure</td><td>2A</td><td>a</td><td>bottom view</td><td>from</td><td>the</td><td>welding device</td>

<td>according to</td><td>Figure 1A</td><td>and</td><td>a</td><td colspan="2">set of female</td><td colspan="2">ear tag parts for</td>

<td>cattle; and</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td></td><td>figure</td><td>2B</td><td>a</td><td>top view</td><td>from</td><td>the</td><td>welding device</td>

<td>according to</td><td>figure 2A.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figures 1A and 1B show a plurality of identically shaped, male ear tag parts 1. Figures 2A and 2B show a multiple of identically shaped, female ear tag parts

2. The ear tag parts 1, 2 are made of plastic, in this example polyurethane. The male ear tag parts 1 and the female ear tag parts 2 are connected by a welding device 3 to a first series 10 of contiguous male ear tag parts 1 and a second series 20 of contiguous female ear tag parts 2, respectively.

The sets 10, 20 are intended for input into an ear tag pliers, not shown. The ear tag pliers take one ear tag part 1, 2 from each series and then bring the collected male ear tag part 1 and the taken female ear tag part 2 together with an ear of cattle between them. The male ear tag part 1 pierces the ear and the female ear tag part 2 and then secures itself to form, together with the female ear tag part 2, an ear tag in the ear, in particular in the ear of a piglet.

As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, each male ear tag part 1 in this example comprises a disc-shaped plate 11, a coupling pin 12 protruding from the plate 11 and a conical locking body 13 with a base 14 at a distal end of the coupling pin 12. The plates 11 of two immediately consecutive male ear tag parts 1 are connected to each other in a manner to be described by the welding device 3 with a welding connection 15 along a part of the circumference. The weld connection 15 has a main surface 16 with upstanding, mutually crossing edges 17 which together form a grid or waffle pattern.

As shown in Figs. 2A and 2B, each female ear tag part 2 in this example comprises a disc-shaped plate 2 and a receptacle 22 protruding therefrom with a cavity 23 and an end edge 24 at the end of the receptacle 22 remote from the plate 2. The plates 21 of two immediately consecutive female ear tag parts 2 are connected to each other in a manner to be described by the welding device 3 with a welding connection 25 along a part of the circumference.

The welding connection 25, just like the welding connection 15 of the male ear tag parts 1, has a main surface 26 with upstanding, mutually crossing edges 27 which together form a grid or waffle pattern.

The welding device 3 as shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B can be moved back and forth between the rows 10, 20 to alternately connect two directly consecutive male ear tag parts 1 and two directly consecutive female ear tag parts 2. Alternatively, use can be made of two separate, substantially identical welding devices 3 which are simultaneously active for connecting the male ear tag parts 1 and the female ear tag parts 2. The welding device 3 is explained below with reference to figures 1A and 1B.

As shown in Figure 1A, the welding device 3 comprises a stamp 31 which is arranged above a welding table (not shown) and which is movable in a stamping direction A towards the welding table and away from the welding table by a drive (not shown). The ear tag parts 1 to be connected are supported on or above the welding table by a contact surface in the form of a pressure pin 30. The welding device 3 is provided with a sonotrode 32 at the end of the punch 31. The sonotrode 32 is connected to an energy source (not shown) in the welding device 3.

The sonotrode 32 is provided with a circular end face or head 33 that faces the plates 11 of the male ear tag parts 11. The head 33 has a main surface 36 with a plurality of deepened, mutually intersecting flow channels 37 communicating with one another at the intersections which together form a grid or waffle pattern.

The steps of the method of connecting the male ear tag parts 1 to the welding device 3 and the steps of the method of connecting the female ear tag parts 2 to the welding device 3 are equal to each other. The method is therefore explained below with reference to the welding device 3 and the male ear tag parts 1 according to figures 1A and 1B.

Figure IA shows the situation in which a plurality of male ear tag parts 1 are arranged in a row on the welding table. The male ear tag parts 1 are transported over a welding table in a feed-through direction B by a conveying device, for example a chain assembly, wherein each time two plates 11 of two immediately consecutive male ear tag parts 1 come to a halt under the sonotrode 32. The plates 11 of the male ear tag parts 1 lie upstream of each other with respect to the sonotrode 32 or side by side, without an interconnection. The two plates 11 located below the sonotrode 32 are supported under the mutual abutment by the pressure pin 30.

The weld connections 15 such as those shown in Figure 1A between the male ear tag parts 1 located downstream of the sonotrode 32 have been obtained according to a method in which the stamp 31 is moved downwards by the drive of the welding device 3 in the stamp direction A. The head 33 of the sonotrode 32 has thereby come into contact with the facing edge regions of the plates 11 of the two immediately consecutive male ear tag parts 1 which are presently under the sonotrode 32. The sonotrode 32 is then energized and vibrated by the energy source in the welding device 3.

The head 33 transmits the vibrations, which in this example have an ultrasonic frequency of approximately 35000 hertz, to the plates 11 located below the sonotrode. The vibrations cause a heat development in the material of the plates 11, the material locally in a melt bath 40 merges or merges. Because the plates 11 were in contact with each other in the middle of the melting bath 40 prior to melting, there is abundantly molten material in the middle of the melting bath 40, while almost no molten material is present at the edges of the melting bath 40. The head 33 of the sonotrode 32 is pressed into the molten material of the molten bath 40 until the bottoms of the recessed flow channels 37 are substantially flush with the surrounding, non-molten surface of the plates 11. The major surface 36 of the head 33 presses the molten material under pressure from the center of the melting bath 40 into the flow channels 37 which then discharge the molten material to the edges or even beyond the edges of the melting bath 40. This results in a more proportional distribution of the material over the surface of the melt bath.

In this example, the plates 11 are moved towards each other in an optional step during the fusing. As a result, more material comes from the plates 11 directly under the head 33 of the sonotrode 32. during the fusing. The new material fuses with the already fused material in the melt bath 40. The additional fused material reinforces the weld connection 15. To achieve the same effect, in an alternative method, the plates 11 can be placed in a partial overlap with each other or tile-wise with respect to each other prior to fusing, the overlapping material flowing or fusing together. In a further alternative method, material from a source other than the plates 11 can be added to the melt bath 16.

Solidification of the melt bath results in the solid weld connection 15 as shown in Fig. 1B, the shape of which is substantially a negative of the shape of the head 33 of the sonotrode 32. The weld connection 15 forms thanks to the spread of the material in the melting bath 40 provides a uniform connection between the two immediately consecutive plates 11. The material which was solidified in the flow channels 37 during solidification has solidified to the upright edges 17 of the weld connection 15. The upright edges 17 contribute as reinforcement ribs to the rigidity of the weld connection 15 against bending.

The above description is included to illustrate the operation of preferred embodiments of the invention, and not to limit the scope of the invention. Starting from the above explanation, many variations will be evident to those skilled in the art that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.