Milker unit detacher for rotary milking parlor
AssigneeWestfaliaSurge, Inc.
InventorsPatrick M. Hein, Jeffrey S. Hanson, Michael Heinrich, Frank Hoelscher, Larry G. Larson, Peter Kaever, Karsten Schonrock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary milking parlor milker detacher having a pivoting support arm and retracting chain arrangement that is synchronized with a rotating platform position to move the detacher between a storage position, a presentation position, and a milking position to protect the detacher from damage and provide a superior ergonomic design that reduces operator fatigue and turnover.
Claims25
A milker detacher for use on a rotary milking parlor that has a rotating platform and a plurality of cow stalls on the rotating platform in which cows can stand while being milked, the milker detacher comprising:
- a housing mounted on the rotating platform;
- a retracting mechanism joined to the housing;
- a support arm joined to the housing for movement between a milking position and a storage position;
- a detacher chain operatively joined to the retracting mechanism for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, the detacher chain having a length sufficient to suspend a milker unit at an elevation below the rotating platform when the chain is in the extended position;
- and a hub operatively disposed between the retracting mechanism and the support arm, the hub having an axis of rotation when moving between the milking position and the storage position and the support arm is joined to the hub at a 45° angle to the axis.
A milker detacher for use on a rotary milking parlor that has a rotating platform and a plurality of cow stalls on the rotating platform in which cows can stand while being milked, the milker detacher comprising:
- a housing mounted on the rotating platform;
- a retracting mechanism joined to the housing;
- a support arm joined to the housing for movement between a milking position and a storage position;
- a detacher chain operatively joined to the retracting mechanism for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, the detacher chain having a length sufficient to suspend a milker unit at an elevation below the rotating platform when the chain is in the extended position;
- a hub mount;
- a rear pulley joined to the hub mount;
- a pair of bushings joined to the hub mount;
- a pivot pin disposed in the bushings for rotational movement relative thereto;
- a chain roller rotatably disposed over the pivot pin, whereby the chain extends from the retracting mechanism over the rear pulley and the chain roller before being supported by the pivoting support arm;
- a hub core fixed to the pivot pin and the pivoting support arm;
- and
- a support arm chain that is connected to the retracting mechanism and is joined to the hub core to rotate the hub core and pivoting support arm when the retracting mechanism is activated.
A rotary milking parlor comprising;
- rotating platform;
- a plurality of cow stalls on the rotary platform;
- and
- a milker detacher mounted on the rotary platform, the milker detacher comprising:
- a housing mounted on the rotating platform;
- a retracting mechanism joined to the housing;
- a support arm joined to the housing for movement between a milking position and a storage position;
- a detacher chain operatively joined to the retracting mechanism for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, the detacher chain having a length sufficient to suspend a milker unit at an elevation below the rotating platform when the chain is in the extended position;
- and
- a hub operatively disposed between the retracting mechanism and the support arm, the hub having an axis of rotation when moving between the milking position and the storage position and the support arm is joined to the hub at a 45° angle to the axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.