A teat cup is provided with a sensing diaphragm in the mouth piece and is connected by a linkage to a valve operating on the air line inlet to the pulsator chamber. Variation of the vacuum level within the ring chamber causes the valve in the air line to open and close to thereby affect the vacuum level applied to the pulsator chamber. A method of milking is described in which sensing of the vacuum level within the ring chamber enables control of the vacuum level applied to the pulsator chamber ...

A milk metering apparatus having a metering chamber 7 which is repeatedly filled and emptied many times in the course of milking an animal is provided with a probe 15 which extends down into the metering chamber 7 and which includes a sampling tube as well as conductivity and light absorption sensors. Milk samples can be taken and conductivity and light absorption measurements can be made during each filling and emptying cycle so that data from the sample analysis and the measurements over the w...

A method of automatically milking animals, such as cows, which are allowed to move freely in an area (1) intended therefore and to visit individually a milking parlor (9) comprising a fully automatic milking machine or milking robot (14) and an animal identification system (20), comprises the steps of dynamically assigning a milking qualification parameter to each of the animals that are allowed to move freely in said area, the respective milking qualification parameter indicating the degree of ...

The present invention relates to a milking cup comprising a cup sleeve, a teat rubber inserted in the cup sleeve with a head piece and an intake socket connectable with a milk discharge conduit, and comprising an air inlet valve provided on the milking cup and connected with the interior space of the intake socket via a first conduit, which lets atmospheric air penetrate into the intake socket in response to a relief phase, during which a higher pressure causing a folding-in of the intake socket...

An animal may be milked by the use of at least one milking apparatus by the following steps: operating first milking apparatus of the milking apparatus a normal mode during a first milking procedure, automatically determining by determining device when the milking of an animal during the first milking procedure does not succeed, and automatically operating second milking apparatus of the milking apparatus in a special mode during a following second milking procedure of the animal for which the m...

A milking machine having a teatcup (3) with a teatcup liner (6) and a pulsation chamber (7), the pulsating vacuum level is determined when the teatcup liner (6) abruptly opens or closes. At least one of the milking vacuum and the pulsating vacuum is controlled such that the maximum level of the pulsating vacuum is lower than the milking vacuum level and at least as high as the determined level.

In a method of milking an animal by using a milking machine having at least one teat cup (4) with a liner (5) and a pulsation chamber (6), the milking machine is operated to pressurize the pulsation chamber, such that during each pulsation the liner opens and/or closes at a slower rate during the beginning and/or ending periods (I, III, IV) of the milking operation than during the main milk extracting period (II) of the milking operation.

An arrangement for the automatic application of milking apparatus to a milk animal including a milking apparatus store, a milking apparatus handling device including a milking apparatus carrier movable on the device and a teat sensor on the handling device together with at least one animal position sensor and a control unit responsive to the animal and teat sensor to operate the handling device, the arrangement being such that when an animal is sensed to be in milking position the control unit o...

A diaphragm valve for shutting off milk flow through a claw (13) of a vacuum driven milking machine has, in a preferred embodiment, a lever (5) linked (6), outside the milk flow, to the diaphragm (4), thereby avoiding any bushings which are prone to leakage. The lever (5) can be swung manually to a position holding the diaphragm away from its seat thereby permitting milk flow. In the automatically closing embodiments, the lever is swung in this case against the bias of a spring (7) and is retain...

A milking inflation fits over the upper end of a teat cup shell, with a peripheral shoulder and cuff adapted to surround and sealingly engage the upper rim of the shell. A substantially flat, relatively thin section (mouthpiece) extends radially inwardly from the shoulder and toward a center portion which defines a circular central opening or mouth for receiving a teat of a lactating animal. A plurality of geometrically-shaped indentations are aligned in a circumferentially extending pattern aro...