Dewvale Limited

Dairymaster

Edmond Patrick Harty, Sr

John Harty

Edmond Patrick Harty, Jr

A rotary milking platform () comprises a plurality of apparatus, each of which comprises a platform () which forms a segment of the rotary platform (). The platforms () define respective animal accommodating locations () for animals to be milked. A communicating opening () in each platform () is closed by a pair of closure plates () which are pivotal upwardly into an open state for separating the hind legs of an animal. A carriage () which is slideably carried beneath the platform () of each apparatus () in the directions of the arrows A and B. A teat cup carrier () is pivotally mounted in the carriage () of each apparatus () and is pivotal from a first state with teat cups () in the carrier () in a protective state extending horizontally and a second state with the teat cups () in a ready state extending vertically upwardly and ready for manual placement onto the teats of an animal. The carriage () is urgeable into a first position with the teat cup carrier () in the first state and with the teat cups () sealably engaged in plug elements () which include jetters () for use in rinsing and washing the milking system. The carriage () is moveable from the first position to a second position with the teat cup carrier () substantially aligned with the udder of an animal so that when the teat cup carrier () is urged into the second state, the teat cups () can be manually urged upwardly by hand and attached to the teat of the animal.

Milking apparatus and a method for presenting a teat cup for attaching to an animal

Bail apparatus () includes an overhead support member () which is suspended from an overhead support framework () by a linkage mechanism () from an operating member (), so that the bail apparatus is operable in a lower operative state for separating animals and an upper release state for releasing the animals from a milking parlor (). A plurality of bail elements () are mounted at spaced apart locations along the overhead support member (), and each bail element includes a partition element () which extends substantially transversely of the overhead support member () at an angle &#x3b1; of approximately 78.5&#xb0;. A coupling bracket () couples each bail element () to the overhead support member (). A mounting plate member () extending downwardly from the coupling bracket () is bent along a bend axis () which defines first and second forward abutment faces () and first and second rearward abutment faces () for facilitating engagement of the corresponding partition element () in a selected one of first and second selectable orientations with the partition element () extending in respective different directions from the overhead support member () at the respective angles &#x3b1;, &#x3b1;' of 78.5&#xb0;.

Bail element for animal bail apparatus, an animal bail apparatus comprising a plurality of the bail elements, and a method for providing animal bail apparatus

A vacuum operated milking system () which is operable in a milking mode and a cleaning mode is provided with a vacuum system () which applies a vacuum to milking clusters () through a main milk pipeline () and a receiver () in which milk from the milking clusters () is collected. A pulsator valve () provides a pulsating vacuum to milk liners in the milking cluster () from the vacuum system (). An accumulator () accumulates respective volumes of washing and rinsing water from a wash and rinse water trough () through a wash and rinse pipeline (), which are accumulated in an annular holding chamber (). During respective ones of a washing cycle and a rinsing cycle, a valve () applies atmospheric pressure to the volume of washing or rinsing water accumulated in the accumulator () which is urged with full flow characteristics through the main milk pipeline (), the clusters () and a connecting pipe () for cleaning thereof. In order to minimize the maximum peak air demand on the vacuum system a control circuit () operates the pulsator valve () to apply a continuous vacuum to the milking clusters during periods when the valve () is operated for applying atmospheric pressure to the volume of washing or rinsing water in the accumulator () when the milking system () is operated in the cleaning mode.

Milking system and a method and apparatus for minimising power requirement of a vacuum operated milking system

A milk liner assembly () comprises a milk liner () seal ably located in an outer shell () and defining with the outer shell () a pulsating vacuum chamber (). The milk liner () comprises a sleeve () and a teat engaging flange () which together define a teat receiving cavity (). A teat accommodating opening () through the teat engaging flange () accommodates a teat into the teat receiving cavity (). A strengthening ring () integrally formed with the sleeve () is located on the sleeve () and extends around the sleeve () adjacent the teat engaging flange () for minimizing excessive radial inward contraction of the sleeve (), and in turn excessive radial inward contraction of the teat engaging flange () onto the teat so that even if the teat engaging flange () were to engage the cricoid fold, milk flow through the cricoid fold would not be inhibited by the gripping pressure exerted the teat engaging flange () on the cricoid fold. The strengthening ring () extends axially from the sleeve (), and terminates in a distal abutment surface () for abutting the udder of the animal for in turn spacing the teat engaging flange () from the udder and from the cricoid fold.

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Causeway, Ireland

Edmond Patrick Harty, Sr