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.
Claims7
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 to rotate the support arm and suspend a milking machine away from the rotating platform when moving between the storage position and a presentation position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.