The present invention relates to a method and a milking machine comprising at least one teat cup for application to a teat of an animal to be milked, a teat cup liner, mounted in said teat cup, defining a teat receiving space inside said liner, and a pulsating chamber between said liner and said teat cup, said liner having a teat receiving end portion, a vacuum source for applying a vacuum level to the teat receiving space for drawing milk from said animal, a pulsator for application of a pulsating vacuum to the pulsating chamber for moving the teat cup liner between a closed position and an open position, thereby massaging said teat of said animal, and a vacuum sensor for sensing the vacuum level in said teat receiving end portion. The invention is further characterized in that said milking machine is arranged to initiated take off of said at least one teat cup, if a vacuum level sensed by said vacuum sensor indicates that the vacuum level in said teat receiving end portion is rapidly increasing.

In a method for mechanically extracting milk, the pressure in the pulsator chamber of a teat cup is, with regard to the milking vacuum effective below the teat, controlled in such a way that, with due regard to a pressure which is required for folding in a teat rubber and which depends on the respective teat rubber used, a pressure difference between 5 kPa and 35 kPa will act on the teat in order to avoid pathological modifications of the teats.

The invention relates to a milking plant wherein the vibrations and sound emissions thereof are significantly reduced. In said inventive milking plant, a vacuum control valve (500) is directly connected to a vacuum compensation tank (200). The vacuum control valve (500) leads into the vacuum compensation tank (200) via a diffusor (501). The vacuum control valve (500) is enclosed in a cylindrical container (503). Preferably, the vacuum pump (110) and the vacuum compensation tank (200) are connected to each other via a main line (150) which is embodied in the form of two bent, flexible hoses. Preferably, the main line (150) leads tangentially into the vacuum compensation tank (200). The invention also relates to a method for reducing sound emissions in one such milking plant. According to said method, the flow speed of the air in the air-guiding parts (150, 200, 300, 302, 403, 420) of the milking plant is reduced. A buffer tank (300) can be used in the air line (30), enabling a stable operating vacuum to be obtained in addition to a reduction in structure-borne noise.

A milking apparatus includes a vacuum pump (1), a milking device (6) having at least one milking claw and teatcups (7, 12, 13) provided to be attached to an animal to be milked, and a conduit (5) connecting the milking claw and teatcups (7, 12, 13) to a suction side (2) of the vacuum pump and being adapted to transport a flow from the milking device (6). The vacuum pump (1) is of a dynamic type. Furthermore, a regulating device (22, 23, 24, 25) is adapted to maintain the vacuum level of the milking apparatus at a desired, constant value. Furthermore, the regulating device comprises a sensor (23) for sensing the actual vacuum level of the conduit (5) and a regulator adapted to control the vacuum level to the desired value by regulating the size of the flow through the conduit (5) and the vacuum pump (1) in response to the vacuum level sensed.

A milking device and method for removing a teat cup from a teat of an animal are disclosed. The teat cup has a teat space for containing a teat and is connected via a milk tube to a vacuum source for generating a milking vacuum. A drawing-away device is provided for drawing the teat cup away from the animal only after a vacuum-lowering device has lowered the milking vacuum in the teat space below a threshold value. The level of vacuum may be measured by means of a vacuum sensor.