Implement for and a method of milking animals automatically
AssigneeC. van der Lely N.V.
InventorsKarel van den Berg, Rene Fransen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An implement for milking animals, especially cows, automatically, is provided with teat cups. In the line system from a teat cup down to the location where the milk lines from the teat cups join, there is provided a vacuum-sensitive sensor and/or milk-sensitive sensor and/or a temperature sensitive sensor and/or a sensor sensitive to the electrical conductivity of the milk flow. Furthermore, there is provided a computer for processing and reproducing information conveyed from these sensors.
Claims23
An implement for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising a line system which comprises a plurality of milk lines that each extend from a teat cup to a junction formed where said plurality of milk lines from said teat cups join;
- at least one sensor selected from the group consisting essentially of a vacuum-sensitive sensor, a flow-sensitive sensor, a temperature-sensitive sensor and an electrical conductivity sensor in said line system;
- and a computer for processing and reproducing information provided thereto by said at least one sensor.
An implement for automatically milking animals, such as cows, the implement comprising teat cups, a milking plant and a computer located in said milking plant;
- said milking plant including a flow-sensitive sensor wherein a signal is produced when the flow of milk from an animal's teat stops;
- and means for conveying said signal to a computer that automatically puts such teat cup out of operation upon receiving said signal.
An implement for automatically milking animals such as cows which comprise a computer, at least one teat cup, said at least one teat cup including a combination of a temperature sensitive-sensor and an electrical conductivity sensor, said sensors being interconnected with said computer so that said computer is capable of detecting abnormal physiological conditions in a said animal while it is being milked.
A method of milking animals, such as cows, which comprises:
- applying a teat cup to the animal's teat;
- drawing a vacuum on the portion of said teat cup wherein said teat is received;
- determining the amount of said vacuum with a vacuum-sensitive sensor, and removing and reapplying said teat cup to the animal's teat if the amount of said vacuum is below a predetermined value.
A method of automatically milking animals, such as cows, which comprises:
- determining the position of an animal's teat;
- connecting a teat cup to said teat with a connection means;
- detecting whether a predetermined amount of vacuum exists in the portion of said teat cup receiving said teat with a vacuum-sensitive sensor;
- and removing and again connecting said teat cup to its corresponding said teat when said predetermined amount of vacuum is not detected by said sensor.
A method of automatically milking animals, such as cows, which comprises:
- determining the position of an animal's teat;
- connecting a teat cup to said teat with a connection means;
- detecting whether a predetermined amount of vacuum exists in the portion of said teat cup receiving said teat with a vacuum sensitive sensor;
- removing and again connecting said teat cup to its corresponding said teat when said predetermined amount of vacuum is not detected by said sensor;
- and calculating and recording by means of a computer the dead time between the time said vacuum-sensitive sensor detects the existence of a predetermined vacuum in said teat cup which is applied to said teat and the time when the milk begins to flow from said teat.
A method for automatically milking animals, such as cows, which comprises:
- conveying data from sensors which are located in teat cups to a computer;
- providing displays to a display device for any desired time setting forth particular animals having selected minimum dead times or electrical conductivities of their milk that exceed predetermined values and displaying the differences between said dead times or said electrical conductivities and said predetermined values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.