Animal husbandry – Milkers – With supporting means
Patent
1985-08-30
1987-08-11
Hirsch, Paul J.
Animal husbandry
Milkers
With supporting means
119 1408, A01J 500
Patent
active
046854223
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a device for milking cattle and to a method for operating such a device.
In known milking devices for cows as usual at present, a milking device comprises a claw piece, to which four teat cups are connected, each one by a separate hose. Such devices require hand engagement of each separate cup to connect it to the teats, often in a small space for the personnel and without a good view of the position of the teats. It has been tried to improve this, e.g., as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,714, by supporting the teat cups in adjusted mutual positions to a supporting structure movable upwardly to engage the teats, or, as shown in German published application No. 2.849.227, by providing the teat cups with guiding discs guiding the teats into the cups by sideways movements. It also known to have one cup for all the teats, with a flexible liner inside the cup so shaped as to take up all the teats in preformed depressions.
The present invention aims at improving such known milking devices as to the facilitation of the engaging of the cups with the teats and also as to the milking effect itself.
To this end a device for milking cattle is according to the invention first of all characterized in that the milking unit comprises a number of teat cups supported individually as separate bodies by a supporting structure movable in the device so as to be moved upwardly for engagement with the teats, said teat cups widening upwardly in their upper parts so as to be adapted to engage and surround the teats with their lower narrower parts and to engage and surround the lower part of the udder above each teat during milking.
This makes it easy to apply the cups to the teats by upward movement of the supporting structure, as the teats will be taken up easily by the wide top parts of the cups and be guided therein to the correct position and moreover, the engagement of the lower part of the udder by the wider parts of the cups appears to give a better milking effect.
Preferably, the cups underly a resilient upward pressure by the supporting structure, which appears to improve the milking effect.
The invention allows easy adjustment of the relative positions of the teat cups with respect to the supporting structure to adapt the positions of the cups to a particular animal. A further object of the invention is the further automation of milking, in particular in the engagement of the cups with the udder and teats as adapted to the special form of the cups according to the invention. In this respect the invention also proposes a new method of operating the milking device according to the invention, by programming a processor with the coordinates for the positions of the teat cups in a particular way to be described.
Moreover, the invention proposes a further improved embodiment of the cups and of the supporting structure and the further parts of the device in view of the objects given above.
It is possible to apply the invention in all existing types of stables, in milking parlours or cubicle barns, in single milking boxes or stools or in rows thereof, if desired in combination with automatic food or concentrates supply, cleaning and other devices for pre- or aftertreatment of the animals and of the milking device itself. The device may have a usual pulsating and suction system, collecting means for the milk etc. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings.
Therein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a milking box for cows according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of part of the supporting structure somewhat diagrammatically and on a larger scale;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the frame carrying the teatcups;
FIG. 4 is a view from below of one teatcup with its suspension;
FIG. 5 is a horizontal view of the parts of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of operating means for a sliding part taking up a teatcup; and
FIG. 7 is a vertical section through a teatcup in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a milking box consisting of beams forming an op
REFERENCES:
patent: 79868 (1868-07-01), Graves
patent: 3605695 (1971-09-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 4010714 (1977-03-01), Notsuki et al.
patent: 4344385 (1982-08-01), Swanson et al.
patent: 4508058 (1985-04-01), Jakobson et al.
Landtechnik, vol. 35, No. 5, May 1980, (Hannover, DE) D. Ordolff: "Melkzeuge Automatisch Ansetzen--Demnachst Wirklichkeit, pp. 222-224.
Middel Roelof G.
Oenema Rinke
Gascoigne-Melotte B.V.
Hirsch Paul J.
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