Dairy animal milking preparation system and methods
AssigneeGEA Farm Technologies GmbH
InventorsKevin L. Torgerson, Duane F. Sellner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.
Claims22
A dairy system safety valve comprising:
- a first block valve having an inlet;
- a second block valve having an outlet;
- a bleed valve disposed between and in fluid communication with the first block valve inlet and the second block valve outlet, and the bleed valve having a bleed outlet;
- a first block valve plunger disposed to move between a block position to close the first block valve inlet and an open position to open the first block valve inlet;
- a second block valve plunger disposed to move between a block position to close the second block valve outlet and an open position to open the second block valve outlet;
- and
- a bleed valve plunger disposed to move between a bleed position to open the bleed valve outlet and a closed position to close the bleed valve outlet and at least partially define a pass-through bore in the bleed valve.
A dairy system safety valve comprising:
- a plurality of safety valve assemblies in fluid communication with each other, and at least one safety valve assembly includes:
- a first block valve having a body defining an inlet, an outlet, and a permanently blocked third opening, and a first block valve plunger for movement between a block position to close the inlet and an open position to open the inlet;
- a bleed valve having a body defining an inlet in fluid communication with the first block valve outlet, a pass-through outlet, and a bleed outlet;
- and a bleed valve plunger for movement between a closed position to close the bleed outlet and at least partially define a pass-through bore through the bleed valve, and a bleed position to open the bleed outlet;
- and
- a second block valve having a body defining an inlet in fluid communication with the bleed valve pass-through outlet, an outlet, and a permanently blocked third opening, and a second block valve plunger for movement between a block position to close the outlet and an open position to open the outlet.
A dairy system safety valve comprising:
- a plurality of single-seat valves in fluid communication with each other, and each single-seat valve includes:
- a body defining a first opening, a second opening and a third opening, and the first opening defines a valve seat;
- a plunger head for movement between a closed position engaged with the valve seat, and an open position spaced apart from the valve seat;
- and
- wherein the second opening of at least one of the single-seat valves is in fluid communication with the third opening of that single-seat valve when its plunger head is engaging the valve seat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.