AU724419B2 - A method of automatically milking animals and an implement for applying same - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: p.

p p ppp.

p p Name of Applicant: Maasland N.V.

Actual Inventor(s): Karel van den Berg Marinus Beije Address for Service: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 AUSTRALIA Invention Title: A METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY MILKING ANIMALS AND AN IMPLEMENT FOR APPLYING SAME Our Ref 602935 POF Code: 1556/253487 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): A METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY MILKING ANIMALS AND AN IMPLEMENT FOR APPLYING SAME The present application is a divisional application from Australian patent application number 74175/98, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a method of automatically milking animals, such as cows, in which use is made of teat cups, each of which is provided with a liner made of a flexible material, by means of which the teat space of a teat cup is separated from the pulsation space that is provided to create therein a pulsating vacuum stimulating the milk yield. In actual practice, it appears that the animals to be milked may be annoyed by the connection and disconnection of the teat cups, particularly when such connection and disconnection is effected 15 automatically. When a teat cup is being connected, air is drawn in through the teat cup by applying a vacuum in e.g. a milk jar, into which the milk line runs from the teat cup, while a pulsating vacuum is often at the same time applied to the pulsation space by means of a pulsator. Then the liner of the teat cup alternates between being left unloaded or drawn by suction against the wall of the teat cup, and being pushed away therefrom. When the teat cup is being connected in the S[latter situation, the teat entering the teat cup is impeded by this. Such a situation also occurs when disconnection takes place at a time when the liner is pressed against the teat.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of automatically milking animals, using teat cups, each of which is provided with a liner made of a flexible material which separates a teat space of a teat cup from a pulsation space that is provided to create therein a pulsating vacuum stimulating the milk yield, wherein, when at least the teat cups are included in a rinsing circuit, with a rinsing liquid being led through the teat cups via separate rinse jetters, rinsing liquid supply lines of the individual rinse jetters are opened and closed either directly by a computer or by means of an electronically controlled or computer-controlled pulsator.

C:\WINWORD\TONIA\BF\SPECI\SP74175.DOC As to :connecting a teat cup, it applies that, as soon as predetermined vacuum has been detected in a teat space or in a milk line being in communication with this space, or after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the approximately atmospheric pressure in the pulsation space is replaced by a pulsating vacuum, whereat the teat cup is capable of further embracing the teat. When a vacuum has been created in the teat space while the pulsation space has been put to approximately atmospheric pressure, then, as soon as the teat cup embraces the teat so far that the teat space is, at least to a substantial extent, cut off from the external or environmental atmosphere, the liner will fold inwards, resulting in that the teat cannot enter the teat space any further. By putting the pulsator into operation, an alternating vacuum is S. 15 produced in the pulsation space, which causes that first the liner is drawn again towards the wall by suction and, consequently, the teat is allowed to enter the teat cup further.

As it were, the teat cup is connected in phases, which is much more pleasant to the animal. When the teat cup is being S: 20 disconnected, it applies that, as soon as the milk flow obtained has fallen to below a predetermined value, the e* pulsating vacuum in the pulsation space is replaced by a fixed vacuum which is maintained until at least the vacuum existing in the teat space has been removed. Moreover, it is advantageous when, during the connection of the teat cups as oeoo well as during milking and during the disconnection of the teat cups, the pressure in the pulsation space can be controlled by means of a pulsator under electronic or computer control. Especially when the teat cups are simultaneously connected and disconnected, a single pulsator will be sufficient. Certainly in the event that the teat cups are connected successively and are disconnected mutually independently, it will be of advantage when the pressure in the pulsation space of each teat cup, during the connection of the teat cups to the teats, the milking and the disconnection of the teat cups, is controlled by means of separate pulsators under electronic or computer control. In other words, each teat cup goes with a pulsator of its own. Because the pressure in the pulsation space is kept at a constant value during connection and disconnection, whereas use is made of an alternating vacuum in the pulsation space during milking, it is important that the suction stroke and/or idle stroke and/or the vacuum level of a pulsator is controllable by electronic or computer means. Through the capability of controlling the suction stroke, the idle stroke and the vacuum level of a pulsator, it is feasible to control, by electronic or computer means, repeatedly the pulsation ratio and/or the pulsation rate and/or the vacuum level of a pulsator for each animal and, when there are provided four pulsators, for each udder quarter individually. By adjustment of the pulsation the pulsation rate and the vacuum level for each individual quarter of an udder for each individual animal, it 0 is feasible to attune the milking time, the stimulation of the milk yield and the development of the milk yield as a function of time optimally to the respective animal at any time. Because a pulsating vacuum in the pulsation space fairly often appears to exert a certain influence on the vacuum in the milk line, it can be desirable that, during milking, in a teat space or in a milk line connected to this space the vacuum is measured permanently and is kept at a constant value through the intermediary of a computer. The method according to the invention, as set forth hereinbefore, is particularly advantageous in applications where the teat cups are automatically connected to, and disconnected from an animal's teats by means of a milking robot.

Another problem occurs during the rinsing of the teat cups after milking. In practice, hereto there is provided a rinsing circuit which includes the teat cups, the milk line and the milk jar, with a rinsing liquid being sucked through the teat cups via separate rinse jetters by the vacuum provided in the milk jar. Here, the supply of rinsing liquid through the teat cups can vary to a large extent, which is felt to be disadvantageous.

In particular it is advantageous to release and close the individual supply lines of the rinse jetters one after the other in time. In practice, this is easily feasible when all of the supply lines of the rinse jetters are released and closed by individual pulsators, certainly when there is already provided a pulsator for each teat cup.

Pre-rinsing by means of water of approximately 320C to 420C, especially of about 370C, can take place in the rinsing circuit. At this temperature, fatty materials in the milk residues present in the various parts of the milking implement can be removed, while the proteins in these milk residues are prevented from solidifying.

The rinsing circuit may be closed, while therein hot water containing a detergent or cleaning agent is fed, i.e. through the circuit comprising the teat cups, the milk lines connected thereto and a collecting element, such as a milk jar, into which these milk lines discharge. The water temperature is then preferably between 200C and 700C, and more particularly between 40'C and 50*C. The rinsing liquid is drawn in from a rinsing liquid tank by the vacuum applied in the milk jar, and it is pumped back therefrom into the rinsing liquid tank again. Moreover, in particular, in the rinsing circuit there may be included one or a plurality of temperature sensors, by means of which, using a computer and an adjustable hot-water supply or a heater element in the tank from which the rinsing liquid is put into circulation, the rinsing liquid temperature is kept constant at least during rinsing. The rinsing circuit may be open, while therein during a certain time, preferably in the order of two or five minutes, hot water or steam is fed, i.e. through the circuit comprising the teat cups, the milk lines connected thereto and a collecting element, such as a milk jar, into which these milk lines discharge. Here, water having a temperature which is between 700C and 1000C, and preferably more than 80'C, can then be led from e.g. a water heater, through the rinsing circuit which includes the milking apparatus, to the sewer.

The invention will now be further explained with reference to a first, a second, and a third exemplary embodiment as represented by the accompanying Figures 1, 2 and 3, which show schematically a first, a second and a third layout of an implement for automatically milking animals, while they include only those parts of the implement which are of relevance to the explanation of the present invention. It will be obvious that the invention is by no means limited to these embodiments; these examples are only intended to illustrate the invention.

In the implement as depicted in Figure 1, the teat cups are indicated by the reference number 1. These teat cups are each provided with a liner made of a flexible material, by means of which the teat space of a teat cup is separated from the pulsation space. The teat cups 1 are capable of C:%VVINWORDVAEUSSA BRADV40DELETESPECI%17625DIV.DOC being automatically connected to, and disconnected from an animal's teats by means of a (non-shown) milking robot. A milk line 2 is connected to the teat space of each of the teat cups i. All these milk lines 2 discharge into a milk jar 3. The milk jar 3 communicates with a milk tank 7 through a cock 4, a pump 5 and a cock 6. For each-teat cup 1 there is provided a pulsator 8, which produces a milk-yield stimulating, pulsating vacuum in the pulsation space of the respective teat cup 1 during milking. Each of the pulsators 8 is connected to a vacuum balance tank 9, wherein a stabilized vacuum is generated by means of a motor-driven pump 10. In each of the milk lines 2 connected to the teat cups 1 there is included a shut-off element 11, a vacuum sensor 12 and a flow sensor 13 in that order. The implement further comprises 15 a computer 14, by means of which the various parts of the implement for automatic milking are controlled, while it oshould be specially mentioned that the pulsators 8 are under electronic or computer control, and the sensors 12 and 13 send their acquired information concerning the vacuum or the milk flow in the respective lines to the computer 14. The suction stroke, the idle stroke and the vacuum level of the pulsators 8 are computer-controllable. This means that the parameters relevant to the milking, i.e. the pulsation rate, the pulsation ratio and the vacuum level are computer- 25 controlled and attunable to the milk yield from the individual udder quarters of each animal.

When the teat cups are to be connected, a vacuum is created in the milk jar 3 by means of the vacuum balance tank 9 and, consequently, air is sucked in through the teat space of the respective teat cups and milk lines, of course, insofar as these have been released by the shut-off elements 11. When the teat cups are being connected simultaneously, then the shut-off elements 11 will release the respective milk lines simultaneously; when, however, the teat cups are being connected successively, then the shut-off elements 11 will also release the respective milk lines successively. As soon as a vacuum has been applied to a milk line, subsequently, as long as the relevant teat cup is not yet connected to a teat, air is sucked in through the teat cup, thereby causing the pressure in the teat space still to remain equal to that of the environment. When the pulsator 8 now applies also an ambient pressure or a pressure slightly lower than the ambient pressure to the pulsation space of this teat cup, the liner of this teat cup will be unloaded or even be slightly sucked against the wall thereof. In this situation, the teat cup can be put on the teat of an animal to be milked, without the liner suffering badly from this operation. As soon as the teat cup has been put fully on the teat of the animal, in the teat space there will be created a vacuum which is measured by the vacuum sensor 12 and, on reaching a predetermined value, this vacuum causes the sensor 12 to issue a signal representing this value to the computer 14 which, in its turn, controls the pulsator 8 to apply a 15 pulsating vacuum to the pulsation space of the teat cup 1. To stimulate the milk yield, initially the pulsation frequency can be higher than during a further stage of the milking.

When the milk flow begins to decrease again after some time of milking and it comes below a predetermined threshold value, the flow sensor 13 will issue a signal to the computer 14 which then effects that the pulsator 8 replaces the pulsating vacuum in the pulsation space of the teat cup 1 by a fixed vacuum, so that the liner of the teat cup 1 is sucked against the wall of the teat cup. This fixed vacuum will then 25 be of the same magnitude or somewhat less than the vacuum in the milk line 2. When the liner has been sucked towards the wall of the teat cup 1, the vacuum in the teat space can oesubsequently be removed and the teat cup be disconnected.

Such a difference in pressure is created across the liner of the teat cups, through the computer-controlled pressure in the pulsation space relative to the pressure in the teat space, that the wear of this liner is restricted considerably.

When undesirable vacuum fluctuations occur in the teat space and milk lines, such fluctuations being detectable by permanently measuring the vacuum by means of the vacuum sensors 12, it is practicable by means of the computer 14 to derive control signals which, applied to the respective shutoff elements, effect that the said vacuum is kept constant. A vacuum sensor 12, the computer 14, and a shut-off element 11 make up a control circuit to keep the pressure in a relevant milk line 2 at a constant value laid down in the computer 14.

Apart from applying the appropriate pressure to the pulsation space, the pulsators 8 can also fulfil a function during the rinsing of the teat cups 1. For the purpose of rinsing, the implement is provided with a rinsing circuit comprising a rinsing liquid tank 16, a common rinsing liquid supply line 17, separate rinsing liquid supply lines 18 each being connected to the common rinsing liquid supply line 17, and, connected to the individual rinsing liquid supply lines 18, rinse jetters 19 to which the teat cups 1 can be connected. To obtain a closed rinsing circuit, the milk jar 3 is capable of being connected to the rinsing liquid tank 16 15 again through the cock 6 and a return line 20. Furthermore, a "shortened" rinsing circuit through the milk jar 3 can be realized directly by means of the rinsing liquid line 21.

With the aid of a heater element 22 in the rinsing liquid tank 16, water of preferably between 40 and 50* C and containing a detergent or cleaning agent can be sucked in, by the vacuum existing in the milk jar 3, via the common rinsing liquid supply line 17, the individual rinsing liquid supply lines 18, the rinse jetters 19, the teat cups 1 and the milk lines 2. This rinsing liquid is pumped back again to the rinsing liquid tank 16 via the cock 4, the pump 5, and the cock 6. When the rinsing liquid is led through the individual rinsing liquid supply lines 18, it may happen that the amounts of rinsing liquid flowing through the various teat cups are greatly different from each other. Therefore, a shut-off element 23 is included in each of the rinsing liquid supply lines 18. Each shut-off element 23 is under the control of a pulsator 8. The pulsators 8 can be controlled by the computer 14 such that the shut-off elements 23 connected to the respective pulsators successively release and close the rinsing liquid supply lines 18 so as to lead the rinsing liquid successively in time through the respective teat cups i. Apart from making use of a closed rinsing circuit, an open rinsing circuit can also be utilized. In case of the latter, hot water of roughly more than 750 C or possibly steam is sucked from the rinsing liquid tank 16 and fed through the common rinsing liquid supply line 17, the individual rinsing liquid Supply lines 18 and the rinse jetters 19, through the teat cups, and from there it is drained away through the milk lines 2 and the milk jar 3 to e.g. a sewer by means of the pump 5. Although water is wasted hereby, it is just because the temperature of the rinsing water is exceptionally high or because even steam is used that the through-flow time of the rinsing water through the teat cups and milk lines can be kept very short, e.g. to the amount of between two and five minutes. Furthermore, then it is not needed to add chemical cleaning agents to the water. When the milk tank 7, too, should possibly be cleaned, especially in the latter case rinsing water can be led from the milk jar 3, through the 15 pump 5, and via the cock 6, to the milk tank 7. To have the rinsing of the teat cups effected as suitably as feasible, the temperature of the rinsing liquid is kept as constant as possible during rinsing. For this purpose, temperature sensors 24 and 25 are included in the rinsing circuit These temperature sensors communicate with the computer 14, .:.which in its turn controls the heater element 22 in the rinsing liquid tank 16. Finally, it should be noted that the drawing includes various computer-controlled cocks 26, 27, and 28 (not mentioned before) which are of importance to the 25 initiation and termination of the rinsing of the teat cups, the milk lines and the milk jar and to the draining of the rinsing liquid, either directly or through the rinsing liquid tank 16 to the sewer.

Figure 2 represents a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein corresponding parts of Figure 1 are indicated by the same reference numbers. In the implement represented in Figure 2, a first supply line 29 for rinsing liquid, such as water, is connected to the rinsing liquid supply line. A computer-controlled cock 30 is included in the first supply line 29. To be capable of controlling the temperature of the rinsing liquid, the first supply line 29 comprises a thermostatically controlled cock 31, to which a hot-water line 32 and a- cold-water line 33 are connected. For pre-rinsing the milk lines, teat cups and milk jar, with the aid of the computer 14 the thermostatically controlled cock 31 is set to a rinsing liquid temperature of between 320 C and 42 C, preferably about 370 C, and the computercontrolled cock 30 is opened for approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Furthermore, running via the rinsing liquid tank 16, a second supply line 34 for a further rinsing liquid is connected to the rinsing liquid supply line. The second supply line 34 also includes a cock 35 controlled by the computer 14. In the present embodiment of the invention, the further rinsing liquid is hot water, which is allowed to flow into the rinsing liquid tank 16 via a line branched off from the hot-water line 32, when the computer-controlled cock 37 included in the line 36 is opened by a signal from the computer 14. Connected to the line 36 are also lines 38, permitting a base or an acid to be added to the hot water.

::The lines 38 also include computer-controlled cocks 39.

In the second exemplary embodiment, the rinsing liquid tank 16 comprises a heater element 22 controlled by a thermostat 40 enabling water to be heated to a temperature of about 78 C, which is a temperature very suitable for hotcleaning. To prevent the rinsing liquid tank 16 from "boiling dry", the rinsing liquid tank comprises liquid-level sensors 41, which issue a signal to the computer 14 if no or insufficient water is present in the rinsing liquid tank. In the rinsing circuit, in the vicinity of the milk jar 3 there is also included a temperature sensor 24, with the aid of which the rinsing liquid temperature can be measured, which measurement is issued to the computer 14. The temperature sensor 24 is preferably provided at the end of the rinsing circuit, i.e. remotely from the first and second supply lines, so that at the end of the rinsing circuit it can be checked whether the desired and/or minimum temperature of the (pre-)rinsing liquid has been reached there, too. If the minimum temperature has not been reached, in the event of pre-rinsing the computer issues a signal to the thermostatically controlled cock 31, or in the event of main-rinsing, to the thermostat 40, until the desired minimum temperature of the (pre-)rinsing liquid is obtained.

For the purpose of draining the rinsing liquid into e.g. the sewer, the rinsing circuit comprises two further computer-controlled cocks 42. Possibly infected milk or foremilk can be discharged into the sewer upon the opening of the computer-controlled cock 6. The computer-controlled cock 6 is preferably disposed close by the milk jar 3.

Figure 3 represents a third exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein corresponding parts of Figures 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numbers. In the implement represented in Figure 3, the computer-controlled cock is designed as a three-way cock. A rinsing liquid line 43 connected to the three-way cock 30 enables rinsing liquid supplied via the first supply line 29 to be applied to a cleaning implement 44 for cleaning of cleaning elements :by means of which the udder and/or the teats of an animal are cleaned. In the present exemplary embodiment, the cleaning elements 45 are designed as two cleaning rolls 46 disposed at a certain distance from each other and which can be put under animal's udder by means of a (non-shown) robot. During cleaning, the teats being in between the cleaning rolls 46 driven in mutually opposite directions are rubbed clean.

A Venturi element 47 is included in the rinsing liquid line 43. This Venturi element 47 comprises a cylindrical housing 48 provided with an inlet nipple 49 and an outlet nipple 50. The inlet nipple 49 extends in the cylindrical housing 48 as far as the outlet nipple 50 and has a tapered end part 51. A tank 54 containing disinfecting liquid, such as chlorine, is connected to the cylindrical housing 48 through a further nipple 52 and a further line 53.

A computer-controlled cock 55 is included in the further line 53. If it is desired to clean the cleaning elements 45 with a chlorine-water mixture, such a mixture can be obtained by opening the computer-controlled cock 55. Water flowing through the Venturi element 47 makes that in the cylindrical housing 48 there is created a vacuum, as a result of which the disinfecting liquid present in the tank 54 is sucked into the cylindrical housing 48 and is mixed with water.

In the exemplary embodiment in accordance with Figure i, the addition of acid or base to the rinsing liquid .tank 16 takes place in a similar way as the addition of disinfecting liquid to the rinsing liquid line 43. For this purpose, the line 36 branches into a first line 56 and a second line 57, both of which end in the rinsing liquid tank 16. In the first line 56 and in the second line 57 there is included a Venturi element 47, while computer-controlled cocks 58 are included in both lines 56 and 57. Through a line 59, a tank 60 containing a basic liquid is connected to the Venturi element 47 included in the first line 56, while through a line 61, a tank 62 containing an acid is connected to the Venturi element 47 included in the second line 57.

Furthermore, computer-controlled cocks 63 are included in the lines 59 and 61.

Each of the teat cups 1 is also provided with a pulsation line 64, which includes a manure separator 65. The P P. manure separator 65 comprises a vessel 66 to which, near the top, interrupted by the vessel 66, the pulsator line 64 is connected. The manure separator 65 is disposed in the pulsation line 64 between the teat cup 1 and the pulsator 8.

e* 4 4**44* 4 *44.

P.O..

Claims (12)

1. A method of automatically milking animals, using teat cups, each of which is provided with a liner made of a flexible material which separates a teat space of a teat cup from a pulsation space that is provided to create therein a pulsating vacuum stimulating the milk yield, wherein, when at least the teat cups are included in a rinsing circuit, with a rinsing liquid being led through the teat cups via separate rinse jetters, rinsing liquid supply lines of the individual rinse jetters are opened and closed either directly by a computer or by means of an electronically controlled or computer-controlled pulsator.

2. A method according to claim 1, including opening and closing the individual rinsing liquid supply lines of the rinse jetters one after the other in time.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, including opening and closing all S° 15 of the rinsing liquid supply lines of the rinse jetters by separate pulsators.

04. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, including pre-rinsing using water at approximately 320C to 42°C.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the water is approximately 370C. owes

6. A method according to claim 3, including closing the rinsing circuit, while feeding water containing a detergent or cleaning agent through the circuit including the teat cups, the milk lines connected thereto and a collecting element, such as a milk jar, into which these milk lines discharge.

7. A method according to claim 6, including maintaining the water temperature between 20'C and 700C.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the water temperature is between 400C and 500C. C:\WINWORD\TONIA\BF\SPECI\SP74175.DOC 13

9. A method according to claim 6, 7 or 8, including using one or a plurality of sensors in the rinsing circuit in conjunction with a computer and an adjustable hot- water supply or a heater element in a tank from which the rinsing liquid is put into circulation to keep the rinsing liquid temperature constant at least during rinsing.

A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rinsing circuit is open, while therein during a certain time, preferably in the order of two or five minutes, hot water or steam is fed through the circuit including the teat cups, milk lines connected thereto and a collecting element, such as a milk jar, into which these milk lines discharge.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the water temperature is between o 70°C and 1000C. 15

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the water temperature is more than 800C. OO "00 DATED: 5 October 1999 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK S 20 Attorneys for: MAASLAND N.V. C:\WINWORD\TONIA\BF\SPECI\SP74175.DOC