Animal husbandry – Milkers – Methods of milking
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-09
2001-03-27
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Milkers
Methods of milking
C119S014030, C119S014080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205949
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of milking animals, in particular goats, wherein the animals are arranged side by side in a milking parlor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a known method of automatically milking cows which are arranged behind each other in milking compartments that are adjacent to each other in longitudinal direction. A robot arm construction is movable in longitudinal direction along the milking compartments, by means of which robot arm construction for each milking compartment, teat cups can be acquired and positioned under the udder of an animal, whereafter the teat cups can be connected one by one to the teats of the animal.
In particular for milking goats this method is rather time-consuming. The production time of the robot arm construction is defined by the cleaning of the teats and the connection of teat cups to the teats of animals. Each robot arm construction serves two or at the most three milking compartments positioned behind each other in longitudinal directions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to make the method suitable for milking goats, the method according to the invention is characterized by the steps of bringing about a movement from a robot arm construction along the rear of the animals or vice versa in order to position consecutively the animals to be milked; consecutively connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal positioned to be milked. More in particular, the robot arm construction is moved along the rear of the animals or that the section of the milking parlor where the animals are arranged is moved along the front of the robot arm construction for the purpose of consecutively acquiring teat cups which are provided behind each of the animals arranged in the milking parlor and connecting same to the teats of the animals. In other words, it is not only possible to dispose the robot arm construction movably along the rear of the animals, but the animals may also be arranged in a movable carrousel which moves them along a rigidly disposed robot arm construction. In this manner, ten, twenty or even more goats can be arranged side by side, while, with the aid of the robot arm construction, teat cups can be connected consecutively to the teats of the goats. In this method, the position of the teats can be determined by means of a detector which sends its radiation between the hind legs to the udder of the animals. This detector is preferably fitted to the robot arm construction itself, more in particular at such a level that, when the robot arm construction is moved along the rear of the animals, the detector is capable of observing the two teats of the goats. Also the teat cups are connected to the teats between the hind legs of the animals.
In addition to a method of milking animals, the invention also relates to an apparatus for milking animals, in particular goats, in which the aforementioned method can be applied. In accordance with the invention, this apparatus is provided with a milking parlor in which the animals can be arranged side by side and a robot arm construction which is movable along the rear of the animals is arranged in the milking parlor, to which robot arm construction are connected acquiring means for grasping teat cups provided behind each of the animals arranged in the milking parlor and for connecting same to the teats of the animals. The acquiring means can be connected in particular with the robot arm construction so as to be pivotable about a pivotal axis and be movable in height under the animal's udder. In this situation, it is possible for the pivotal axis for the acquiring means to extend horizontally at or near the upper side of the milking parlor in the longitudinal direction thereof, i.e., along the rear of the animals arranged side by side or above same. According to the invention, the movement of the robot arm construction in the longitudinal direction of the milking parlor can be obtained by providing the robot arm construction with a support unit which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the milking parlor along one or more rails, relative to which support unit the pivotable portion of the robot arm construction is pivotable in sideward direction Y and consequently in forward and rearward direction relative to the animals arranged in the milking parlor. The support unit may be designed so as to be movable along the rails by a motor drive. The sideward pivoting movement can be provided by means of an operating piston and cylinder which is active between the support unit and the pivotable portion of the robot arm construction. By designing the pivotable portion of the robot arm construction as a substantially downwardly extending carrier for the acquiring means, it will be possible, by disposing an operating piston and cylinder between the carrier and the acquiring means, to provide movability of the acquiring means in height.
In a specific embodiment, the acquiring means can additionally be connected with the robot arm construction so as to be rotatable about a substantially vertical pivotal axis. For the purpose of being able to determine the position of the teats of the animals, the acquiring means may be provided with a detector for determining the positions of the teats. In this situation the detector is fastened to the acquiring means at such a level that, when the robot arm construction with the acquiring means is moved along the rear of the animals, the detector is able to sense the positions of the teats. Because the teats of the animals, in particular in the case of a full udder, may rather often be orientated outwardly, it is of importance that the acquiring means are provided with a gripping element that is pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis, so that, when by means of the gripping element a teat cup has been grasped and brought to under the udder of the animal, the teat cup can be tilted so it can easily be connected to a teat which is orientated somewhat outwardly. As already mentioned, the acquiring means are capable of grasping the teat cups provided behind each of the animals in the milking parlor. In this situation it is advantageous that the teat cups be supported under tension in a holder behind each of the animals arranged in the milking parlor. Each teat cup is capable of individually being taken from the holder and being connected to a teat of an animal present in the milking parlor. Preferably, each teat cup is additionally provided with withdrawing means for the purpose of being withdrawn into the holder after the milk flow has at least almost finished.
For the purpose of arranging the animals properly side by side in the milking parlor, in accordance with the invention the apparatus comprises turnstiles to be operated by the animals themselves, functioning such that, each time when an animal occupies a milking compartment, a partition for a next animal is being formed. Each milking compartment is preferably provided at its front side with a movable feed trough. This feed trough may be designed so as to be pivotable in upward direction, thus being able to constitute an exit of the milking compartment, which exit is released when the feed trough is pivoted upwards.
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patent: 3931769 A1 (1991-04-01), None
Abbott Yvonne R.
Maasland N.V. A Dutch Company
Penrose Lucas Albright
Poon Peter M.
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