Magnetic levitation rotary milking parlours and methods

A magnetically levitated rotary milking parlour comprising:

• a rotatable annular platform sufficient to support multiple animals, the rotatable annular platform rotatable about an axis of rotation and having a plurality of stalls in which the animals are to be milked, the stalls arranged about a first perimeter of the rotatable platform;
• a fixed annular support platform having a second perimeter the same as the first perimeter, the rotatable annular platform magnetically levitated above the fixed annular support platform by a magnetic sub-system;
• the magnetic sub-system comprising:
• a first ferromagnetic element comprising one or more curvilinear U-shaped ferromagnetic skids comprising two parallel arms whose facing surfaces each have a permanent magnetic element attached thereto and delimiting an empty space occupied at least partially by a second ferromagnetic element;
• the second ferromagnetic element comprising a curvilinear ferromagnetic rail having a circular cross-section, each of two opposite side surfaces of the curvilinear ferromagnetic rail facing respectively one of the permanent magnetic elements secured to the facing surfaces of the two parallel arms of the one or more curvilinear U-shaped ferromagnetic skids;
• the one or more curvilinear U-shaped ferromagnetic skids secured to an under side of the rotatable annular platform around the first perimeter;
• the ferromagnetic rail secured to an upper side of the fixed annular support platform around the second perimeter;
• the one or more curvilinear U-shaped ferromagnetic skids configured to generate a magnetic field having a polar axis perpendicular to the facing surfaces and having magnetic flux flowing therethrough such that they are repelled from the ferromagnetic rail with force sufficient to levitate the rotatable annular platform when some or all stalls have animals present therein;
• the one or more curvilinear U-shaped ferromagnetic skids and the ferromagnetic rail separated by an air gap, each having axial symmetry with respect to the axis of rotation;
• and
• the one or more curvilinear U-shaped ferromagnetic skids comprising one or more pairs of guide rollers.