Teatcup magazine, a milking arrangement, and a method of handling a teatcup
AssigneeAlfa Laval Agri AB
InventorUzi Birk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A milking arrangement comprising a milking apparatus, having at least one teatcup (2) and a teatcup magazine (5) for holding the teatcup. The teatcup (2) has an opening through which a teat of an animal is introduced during the attachment of the teatcup to the teat. The teatcup magazine (5) comprises at least one first member (6) provided to receive the teatcup and a second member (7) provided to support the first member (6). The first member (6) is movably connected to the second member (7) between a first position, in which the teatcup (2) received by the first member has its opening turned substantially downwards, and a second position in which the teatcup (2) is received by the first member has its opening turned in direction substantially deviating from the downward direction.
Claims27
A teatcup magazine for a milking apparatus, comprising;
- at least one first member provided to receive at least one teatcup having an opening through which a teat of an animal is introduced during the attachment of the teatcup to the teat;
- and
- a second member provided to support said first member, wherein said first member is movably connected to said second member between a first position, in which the teatcup received by said first member has its opening turned substantially downwards, and a second position in which the teatcup received by said first member has its opening turned in a direction substantially deviating from said downward direction.
A method of handling at least one teatcup of a milking apparatus, said teatcup having an opening through which a teat of an animal to be milked is introduced, comprising the following successive steps of operation:
- holding said teatcup in a first member of a teatcup magazine,
- maintaining the teatcup in said first member in a position in which the opening is turned substantially downwards,
- automatically moving said first member to a position in which the opening of the teatcup is turned in a direction substantially deviating from said downward direction,
- gripping the teatcup,
- removing the teatcup from said first member and the teatcup magazine, and
- attaching the teatcup to a teat of the animal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.