Westfalia Separator Ag

Friedrich Icking

Heinrich Bucker

Friedrich Stolte

Eberhard Willach

Otto Krone

A pulsator for milking machines comprises a bolt which travels back and forth in a housing and activates a slide. The slide alternately connects the pulsator's outlets to a source of vacuum and to the atmosphere. A diaphragm accommodated in a chamber at each end of the slide moves the bolt back and forth. An alternator is triggered by the slide as it arrives at one end or the other of its stroke. The alternator connects the chambers back and forth and alternately to the source of vacuum and to the atmosphere. The distance between the slide and at least one of the diaphragms is varied to suppress stagger.

Pulsator for milking machines

Electrodes for measuring the level of milk flowmeters and positioned together in a holder of a non-conductive material that extends tight through the bottom of the flowmeter with their active surfaces vertically separated. The electrodes are adjacent pins with their cylindrical surfaces inside the milk flowmeter completely surrounded by the holder to the extent that only the faces of the electrodes are active.

Electrodes for measuring the level of milk in flowmeters

A device for cleaning a milking system, with an air separator, a rinse reservoir, a suction line that leads from the rinse reservoir to the air separator through a milking station, and a pressure line that leads from the air separator to the rinse reservoir. The top of the air separator communicates with a vacuum line and the bottom communicates with the pressure line through a conveyor pump and with a shut-off valve in the section of the suction line between the rinse reservoir and the milking station. To improve the cleaning effectiveness of the known device and prevent the air separator from getting overloaded, the shut-off valve is remote-controlled and is connected through a control line to controls that are also connected to the conveyor pump and to a level sensor in the air separator through other control lines. The controls close the valve when the pump is on and open it when the pump is off.

Device for cleaning a milking system

A pulsator for milking machines has two diaphragms connected by a rod with each diaphragm dividing a pressure chamber into a processing space and a damping space. The damping spaces communicate through a channel that is provided with a throttle. The processing spaces are connected either to a source of vacuum or to the atmosphere. A switchover is attached to the rod and connects lines leading to the pulsation spaces of milking containers either to the atmosphere or to a source of vacuum. A main line is provided with a throttle. The throttles in the communicating channel and in the main line are detoured by bypasses provided with chokes that can be vacuum-activated through control channels. To improve the known pulsator by eliminating the sensitive hoses and timers and to allow adjustment of the duration of the stimulation phase with no need for a timer, the control channels are always in communication with one of the control chambers in a control disk, one chamber constantly communicating with the vacuum source and the other chambers subject to atmospheric pressure. The disk can be rotated by a transmission, which is driven by the rod as it travels back and forth, in such a way that the control channels are connected either to the control chamber that is subject to vacuum or to one of the control chambers that are subject to atmospheric pressure.

In a support and withdrawal mechanism for milking clusters, a support pipe is positioned inside a main column in such a way that it can be rotated and moved up and down inside it. At the bottom of the support pipe is an articulated extension arm with its free end connected to the milking cluster. A clamping component that surrounds the support pipe and in the horizontal position does not impede its free motion is positioned below the main column. The clamping component is secured on one side by a spring and a sloping chain and on the other side by the piston rod of an operating cylinder. The spring, chain, and cylinder are attached to points of suspension on the main column. When the piston rod moves out, the clamping component is tilted and clamps onto the support pipe, carrying the pipe down as it moves. The sloping chain, however, allows a downward motion only if the clamping component simultaneously rotates. This combined lowering and rotating motion is transmitted to the extension arm and generates sloping tension on the milking cluster, initiating the follow-up milking phase.

Support and withdrawal mechanism for milking clusters

A sampler for a milking-system volumeter that can measure fractional volumes and that has both a partial-vacuumized separation chamber with an outlet that can be closed off by means of a valve piston and a measuring chamber. The valve piston associated with the outlet has a nozzle bore that opens into the separation chamber. It is followed by a nozzle channel with a runoff opening at the end facing away from the nozzle bore. The channel is closed when the valve piston is closed and opens into a line leading to the sampler's milk-collecting space when the valve piston is open. When milk flows out of the volumeter through the outlet, part of it flows into the nozzle channel through the nozzle bore and thence into the collecting space through the line. A sample is accordingly taken upon the completion of every fractional-volume measurement by the volumeter.

Sampler for a milking-system volumeter

A cleansing arrangement for a milking machine has a reservoir for cleansing fluid. A vacuum line for conveying the cleansing fluid through the milking machine has an inlet end at the bottom of the reservoir and an outlet end at the top of the reservoir. A metering device for measuring predetermined amounts of concentrated cleansing fluid is located inside the reservoir. A pipe connects the metering with the vacuum line. The pipe has a branch which leads to a supply of water to serve as a diluent for the concentrated cleansing fluid. The metering device is further connected with two sources of different concentrated cleansing fluids via two separate pipes. Each pipe has its own valve member which normally closes the respective pipe. A handle is provided for selectively opening the cleansing fluid supply pipes. In operation, the handle is moved to open one of the cleansing fluid supply pipes. A measured amount of cleansing fluid is drawn into the reservoir via the metering device by means of suction created by the vacuum line. Subsequently, water is admitted into the reservoir to dilute the cleansing fluid and additional water is admitted directly into the vacuum line. The diluted cleansing fluid from the reservoir is drawn into the vacuum line and, after mixing with the water admitted directly into the vacuum line, is conveyed through the milking machine to cleanse the same. The diluted cleansing fluid is then returned to the reservoir where it may be temporarily stored for further use.

Cleansing arrangement for a milking machine

A method for directly measuring the quantity of milk obtained from a cow being milked by a mechanical milking apparatus, including vacuum separating milk from a milk-air mixture from a cow, continuously freely feeding the separated milk to a measuring chamber, sensing the level of the milk to the measuring chamber at a first level from the bottom thereof, discharging the milk from the measuring chamber through a valved outlet by opening same when the level of the milk in the measuring chamber reaches said first level and determining the quantity (Q) of milk from partial volumes during a plurality of measurement intervals (b.sub.i) during the flow of milk into and out of the measuring chamber. The improvement comprises sensing the level of the milk in the measuring chamber at a second level below said first level, measuring the time (c.sub.i) it takes to fill the measuring chamber, from the second level to the first level, closing the valved outlet when the milk is at the second level and defining each measurement interval (b.sub.i) as including at least one filling time (c.sub.i) and one segment of the time (d.sub.i) during which the valved outlet is open before the filling time (c.sub.i) and after the filling time (c.sub.i). The step of determining Q comprises calculating Q according to ##EQU1##

Method for direct measurement of the amount of milk obtained from a cow

Apparatus for admitting a cleaning agent into the vacuum line of an animal milking installation has a reservoir the lower portion of which communicates with an intake portion of the vacuum line, a metering device having a vessel which is installed in the upper portion of the reservoir, valved conduits which connect the vacuum line with a source of water and with the upper part of the vessel, a source of cleaning agent which is connected to and admits into the vessel cleaning agent when the vessel is connected to the vacuum line, a buoyant valve element which floats on the supply of cleaning agent in the vessel and seals the vessel from the vacuum line when the supply of cleaning agent in the vessel rises to a predetermined level, and a valve which allows the supply of cleaning agent to flow into the reservoir when the pressure differential between the interior of the vessel and the reservoir decreases to a predetermined value subsequent to sealing of the vacuum line from the interior of the vessel. The pressure differential decreases owing to the provision of a flow restricting orifice which connects the interior of the vessel with the surrounding atmosphere or with the interior of the reservoir.

Cleaning apparatus for milk conveying paths in animal milking machines

A milk pumping system used in vacuum milking installations for the purpose of withdrawing the milk that is in a vacuum milk receiver that is under constant vacuum, in cases wherein the milk must be pumped to a higher and more remote bulk tank that is under atmospheric pressure. For this purpose a milk releaser provided with a float is connected to the outlet of the vacuum milk receiver, and, when the milk releaser is filled up with milk, the float acts through a linkage to close a vacuum line connecting the first milk releaser to the vacuum milk receiver and establish a communication with the external atmosphere. The first milk releaser is in communication through an air line to an air-operated two-way valve, and the two-way valve is operated such that it is able to change a second milk releaser which is connected to the outlet of the first milk releaser and is under atmospheric pressure, to a vacuum, so that the milk that has collected in the first milk releaser can be aspirated out by the second milk releaser. The milk is let out of the second milk releaser into a bulk milk tank that is under atmospheric pressure.

Milk pumping system for vacuum milking installations

A milk meter for milking installations, for the direct measurement of the quantity of milk taken from a cow, has a separating chamber under a partial vacuum for the separation of the air from the mixture of air and milk coming from the milker, and a milk measuring chamber which is connected therewith through a permanently open inlet aperture and which is equipped with two sensors set at different levels therein. The inlet aperture is located close to the floor of the separating chamber and has an associated weir on that floor. The upper edge of the weir is at a higher level than the upper edge of the inlet aperture and the weir has a drain hole. With this system only air-free milk or milk of low air content can enter the measuring chamber.

Milk meter for measuring the total amount of milk from a cow in the

A device for controlling actuators by pneumatic pulses includes a casing having an inlet for vacuum pulses and an outlet connectable to an actuator. A control wheel is rotatably mounted in the casing and has a plurality of indentations therein. A plunger is disposed in a chamber in the casing and is sealingly guided for movement from a normal rest position wherein the plunger is engaged with one of the indentations to a retracted position when the chamber is evacuated, wherein the plunger is engaged with a successive indentation. Rotation of the control wheel is effected when the plunger returns to the rest position. Fluid communication is provided between the inlet and the outlet and between the inlet and the chamber in the casing through the control wheel to control the supply of vacuum pulses to the outlet and to the chamber in dependence on the angular position of the control wheel.

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Oelde, Germany

Friedrich Icking