The milking apparatus does not need the continuous presence of the dairy farmer. A mobile member coupled with a teat cup follows the free movements of one or more teats of a cow by means of detection member and by means of control means coupled with the mobile member. Detection means for detecting the position of the teat can comprise first and second light radiating elements as well as first and second light receiving elements. The milking apparatus can make use of a generally available robot o...

A milking means comprising a number of teat cups, each having necessary connections for the milking function. According to the invention the milking means has such a design that when the milking means is in the position for application of the teat cups (11; 21; 31; 40; 50) onto the teats of the animal, each teat cup freely from the remaining teat cups is hanging down from a point (13; 25; 32; 45; 54) above the teat base (14; 26; 33; 46; 55) of the udder of the animal.

A milking installation comprises an annular platform divided into separate milking stalls, each for one cow and provided with a milking unit hermetically connected to its milk receiver, and means for rotating the annular platform so that the stalls successively pass a milk collecting station. The latter includes a flexible milk tube carried by an arm of variable length which is pivoted at one end, the free end of the arm being provided with a coupling member connected to the flexible tube and mo...

A milking plant for cows is provided with a milking machine comprising teat cups, which are connected separately to the teats of an animal. The milk obtained from each udder quarter is conveyed through a separate line to a milk measuring device. The milk measuring device includes four milk meters, one for each teat cup, having separate discharge lines coupled to common discharge lines which connect with a circulation line or loop that includes a bulk milk cooling tank, a two-speed or variable sp...

A milking pulsator comprises a housing, forming a chamber, in which a vacuum passage opens via a first opening. A pulsation channel to be connected to at least one teat cup communicates with the chamber and with atmosphere via a second opening. Valve means are arranged to close and open said first and second openings. Each valve means comprises a membrane, and a pivoted member, the membrane being attached between the pivoted member and the housing. The pivoted members are journalled in the housi...

A milking plant for cows is provided with a milking machine comprising teat cups, which are connected separately to the teats of an animal. The milk obtained from each udder quarter is conveyed through a separate line to a milk measuring device. The milk measuring device includes four milk meters, one for each teat cup, having separate discharge lines coupled to common discharge lines which connect with a circulation line or loop that includes a bulk milk cooling tank, a two-speed or variable sp...

A milking machine, which fastens teat cup liners R to teats B of a cow and repeats vacuum suction and quiescence for milking the cow, includes 1/f fluctuation signal generation module unit 2 for generating a 1/f fluctuation signal Ss based on the biorhythm of the cow and a control unit 3 for changing the control amount during milking, for instance, the number of pulses per unit time of a pulse control signal Sc for switching the suction and the quiescence, the duty ratio of the pulse control sig...

A milking system for dairy animals comprising individual teat cups attachable to the respective teats of the animal's udder, a measuring device to determine the volume of milk discharged from individual teats, a central vacuum system to aid the discharge of the milk from the teats as well as to propel both the milk and the cleaning fluid through the system's fluid lines, a cooling tank, and an array of sensors to determine various parameters of the milk and milking system, including temperature ...

Apparatus for use in the machine milking of animals including a chamber wh is connectable to the teat cups of a milking machine. A sensing arrangement associated with the chamber permits the volume of milk within the chamber to be sensed and control equipment is coupled with the sensing arrangement so as to be operable in response to a determined volume of milk within the chamber being sensed. A valve is operable in response to the control equipment. Accordingly, the apparatus can be connected t...

A teat locating sensor for use in farming equipment such as robotic milking machines and teat disinfection units. One or more cameras capture an image of the udder. The captured image is processed by applying an edge detector to provide an edge image. A Hough transform is applied for detecting edges using semi-circles and near vertical forms. A feature detector then matches these to provide teat ends and teat sides and thus produces a teat location map. Colour or monochrome cameras can be used a...