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US 5,275,124 AGranted
Milking apparatus
AssigneeC. van der Lely N.V.
InventorsEdwin van der Lely, Karek van den Berg, Rene Fransen
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AssigneeC. van der Lely N.V.
InventorsEdwin van der Lely, Karek van den Berg, Rene Fransen
Estimating the term…
A milking plant for cows is provided with a milking machine comprising teat cups, which are connected separately to the teats of an animal. The milk obtained from each udder quarter is conveyed through a separate line to a milk measuring device. The milk measuring device includes four milk meters, one for each teat cup, having separate discharge lines coupled to common discharge lines which connect with a circulation line or loop that includes a bulk milk cooling tank, a two-speed or variable speed pump, and a plurality of heat exchangers for precooling the milk received from the common discharge lines before it is received in the bulk milk cooling tank and to recirculate and cool the milk received in the bulk milk cooling tank. After the milk has been discharged from the bulk milk cooling tank and the system is to be disinfected, washed and rinsed, the heat exchangers being used in a heat pump arrangement, can heat the fluid therein as selected and desired for sanitizing the system.
A milking tank for milking cows comprising a plurality of automatic milkers, a milk discharge line from each of said milkers, a milk conduit line loop into which each of said milk discharge lines is interconnected to deliver milk thereto from the corresponding said automatic milker, a milk conductivity sensor and a valve controlled by said milk conductivity sensor disposed in each said milk discharge line between each of said automatic milkers and said milk conduit line loop, a receptacle for receiving milk unsuitable for human consumption interconnected by a fluid conduit to said valve, said milk conduit sensor including means for causing said valve to divert milk unsuitable for human consumption as sensed by said milk conductivity sensor from said discharge line to said receptacle.
A milking plant for milking cows that comprises a plurality of automatic milkers, each said automatic milker having four teat cups, said teat cups each having a separate line for conveying milk therefrom, a bulk milk tank, means for circulating milk into and out of said bulk milk tank, discharge lines from said separate lines of said plurality of automatic milkers interconnected into said milk circulation means, a milk circulation loop that includes said milk circulation means, said bulk milk tank being included in said milk circulation loop in an arrangement wherein milk can be continuously circulated around said milk circulation loop including through said bulk milk tank and said milk circulation means, a pump in said milk circulation loop for circulating milk through said circulation loop, a plurality of chambers, one of each of said chambers arranged between each separate line and each said discharge line so that milk from each said teat cup passes into a corresponding said chamber via a corresponding said separate line and from such chamber into a corresponding discharge line, a milk conductivity sensor in each said chamber and a corresponding diversion valve controlled by said sensor in each said discharge line, receptacle means for receiving milk diverted thereto by a said diversion valve from a corresponding said discharge line in response to control thereof by a corresponding said sensor when the conductivity of said milk in the corresponding said chamber indicates that the milk received therein is unsuitable for human consumption.
A milking plant for milking cows comprising four teat cups, said teat cups being connectable to the respective teats of a cow's udder, a bulk milk cooling tank, conduit means between said teat cups and said bulk milk cooling tank for conveying milk received from each udder quarter via said teat cups to said bulk milk cooling tank, diversion means associated with said conduit means for diverting therefrom milk unsuitable for human consumption, receptacle means for collecting and storing said milk diverted by said diversion means because it is unsuitable for human consumption, and further conduit means interconnecting said diversion means with said receptacle means for conveying milk diverted by said diversion means to said receptacle means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.