Animal husbandry – Milkers
Patent
1995-04-25
1997-05-27
Swiatek, Robert R.
Animal husbandry
Milkers
251146, A01J 500
Patent
active
056322275
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a milk-line valve. It comprises a slide, a connector, and a saddle. A port in the saddle opens into the milk line through an annular seal. The slide obstructs the seal. When the connector is inserted, it moves the slide into a position in which it unblocks the port and allows it to communicate with an opening in the connector. The slide and connector can be forced against the seal by connector guides.
A milk-line valve of this type is known from DE 4 003 367 A1 for example. It is used in the dairy industry to connect a milking machine to a milkline. The connector is introduced into the guides, forcing the slide out of its port-blocking position, until the opening in the connector coincides with the port in the saddle. The guides are rigid and specially shaped to force the saddle against the seal.
It is difficult to manufacture the parts precisely enough to attain precisely the prescribed force. Furthermore, the parts tend to eventually deform and the seal to wear out, affecting the level of force. These factors can make the seal too tight or too loose. The slide will no longer be able to move back and forth freely, and the seal can leak. The saddle in the known milk-line valve is screwed to the line. Such connections, however, take time to screw together and can eventually loosen and shift the saddle out of its proper position on the milk line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is accordingly a milk-line valve with a prescribed sealing force that is not affected by wear or by manufacturing imprecision and that will allow the slide to move back and forth freely.
This object is attained in accordance with the invention by springs that force the guides against the seal with a prescribed force. Since the guides rest resiliently instead of rigidly against the connector and slide, the strength of the seal is determined by the power of the springs and not by the shape of the slide. The effects of manufacturing imprecision will accordingly be negligible.
The springs in one practical embodiment of the present invention are U-shaped lengths of resilient wire. One arm of the U rests against the guides and the other against the side of the milk line that faces the guides. The springs accordingly not only generate a prescribed force on the guides but also secure the saddle in its proper position on the line. No screws are necessary. The saddle will be secured particularly well if the other arm of each spring rests in a groove in the outer surface of a holder that fits snugly around the milk line.
The guides in another practical embodiment rest against the saddle at one point of contact and against the connector at another point of contact and have a stop between the points of contact that the first arm of one spring rests against. The force exerted by the springs is accordingly distributed between the two points. How the force is distributed depends on the position of the stop. The force exerted on the milk line by the saddle can accordingly be essentially more powerful than that on the guides. The saddle will be reliably secured and the strength of the seal limited to the desired extent.
The positions of the stop and of the points of contact where the guides rest against the saddle and the connector in another and particularly practical embodiment of the invention can be varied to ensure that the force exerted on the connector is less powerful when the second point is farther from the milk line and more powerful when it is near. The result is automatic compensation for any slackening in the force of the springs due to wear, because a lot of the force will shift to the first point as the point becomes worn down.
The connector can be designed to raise and then lower the points of contact where the guides rest against it while it is being inserted. The force exerted against it will accordingly be less powerful while the connector is being inserted, and it will be much easier to insert. Once the connector is inserted, however, the po
REFERENCES:
patent: 3591132 (1971-07-01), Johnston et al.
patent: 3870348 (1975-03-01), Hawkins
patent: 5445357 (1995-08-01), Torgerson et al.
Swiatek Robert R.
Westfalia Separator Aktiengesellschaft
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