Abstract: An identification tag with an hourglass configuration for livestock or other animals having a pair of separable tapered, geometric solid portions in the preferred form of conical sections wherein each portion has a large end and a small end whose sides taper at an acute angle away from the plane of an opening cut in the ear or other tissue of the animal to be tagged. No pressure is applied to the tissue around the opening and air is allowed to reach all portions of the opening to enhance healing. Piercing means extend from the smaller end of one of the portions and is used to form the opening in the ear. Means on the other portion secures the piercing means to the smaller end of the other portion after it has been passed through the opening.

Abstract: A tool is provided for installing a tag in an element to be tagged, such as an animal's ear, wherein the tool releasably holds a tag on one side of the ear and a blade on the other side of the ear is moved so as to pierce the ear to form an incision therein and to grasp the locking head of the tag on the other side of the ear and pull it back through the incision during the return movement of the cutting element and subsequently release the locking head of the tag after it has been pulled back through the incision. Since only the cutting blade or the locking head of the tag are in the incision at one time, tearing of the incision is minimized.

Abstract: An improved tool for piercing the skin of an animal and inserting a loopless identification tag of the type having a base connected to an anchoring head by a narrow neck portion. The tool comprises a handle having a palm engaging portion for thrusting the tool through the animal's skin and further includes an integral pointed and sharpened skin piercing blade attached to the handle by a long narrow shank. A sliding element comprises a pair of generally parallel rods extending along opposite sides of the shank and joined at their forward ends by a yoke extending under and partially encircling the blade. The sliding element is movable from an extended position with the yoke encircling the blade to a retracted position in which the rods slide into the handle and the yoke is adjacent the forward end of the handle. To insert a tag, it is positioned with the ears of the anchoring head extending into variable length slots formed between the shank and the parallel rods.

Abstract: A locking device, in combination with a self-locking tag, insertable through a slit in the ear of an animal, includes a disc with a centrally disposed slit for more securely attaching the tag to the animal. Similar to the function of a pedestal, the device may also support the tag in an essentially upright position in the animal's ear. In addition, two locking devices may be utilized on both sides of the ear to prevent the tripping of the tag from either side of the ear. Another salient feature of the locking device is that it may be of a color which provides information concerning the animal. Additionally, the device may be impregnated with an insecticide repellent which will bleed out over a period of time thereby providing a measure of control over flies, lice, and other insects that may come near the animal's ear.

Abstract: There is provided an improved tool for piercing the skin and inserting a loopless animal identification tag, said tool being characterized in that it is removable from the animal's skin from either side of the skin pierced. The tool comprises an elongate rigid member having a handle portion, an intermediate, integral tag holding portion, and an integral pointed and sharpened skin piercing end portion. The tag holding portion includes longitudinally extending slot means for releasably holding the laterally extending securing edges of an identification tag in a folded attitude prior to insertion. Such slot means may take the form of (1) a single wide slot, (2) two parallel slots of equal length substantially the same length as the securing edges, (3) two parallel slots of equal length but substantially longer than securing edges, and (4) two parallel slots of unequal length one being substantially the same length as securing edges and the other being substantially longer than the securing edge.