Gea Farm Technologies Gmbh

Waikato Milking Systems Limited Partnership

Milfos International Limited

Graeme David McDougal

Jamie Christopher Joseph Mikkelson

Rodrick Peter Staheli

A device suitable for attachment to a milking platform at a 'milking position' has a strippings viewing area and a light source, which is operable to illuminate in a suitable manner the strippings viewing area to enhance the visibility to an operator of any mastitis symptoms in use and/or to illuminate the udder to facilitate inspection or treatment. The light source may also be operable to give continuous or intermittent colour signals to the operator and the device might also include an alpha-numeric area. The device might form part of a leg separator and/or sprayer and/or milk hose support. A milking platform with such a device is also claimed.

Milking apparatus and system

A rotary milking platformhas a deck, a circular upper beamconnected to and supporting the deck, a circular lower beamand a series of carriagesconnected end to end to form a ring between the beams. The platform is formed such that the upper beamis arranged to rest and rotate on the ring of carriagesto rotate the deck. Each carriage has at least one carriage roller, and each rollerarranged to rotate on the lower beam. Each rolleralso has a retention flangeat only one side. The flangesof some of the rollersare at or adjacent an inner side of the ring, and the flangesof others of the rollers are at or adjacent an outer side of the ring. The rollersof the ring are arranged such that at least one roller is oriented with its flangeon an opposite side to another of the flanged rollers immediately adjacent to it. The flanges prevent the carriages from moving off the lower beamwhen the platformis in use. Further, at least some of the carriages can be disconnected from the ring and swung laterally to be moved free of the beamsfor maintenance, repair or replacement.

Milking platform

A device suitable for attachment to a milking platform at a 'milking position' has a strippings viewing area and a light source, which is operable to illuminate in a suitable manner the strippings viewing area to enhance the visibility to an operator of any mastitis symptoms in use and/or to illuminate the udder to facilitate inspection or treatment. The light source may also be operable to give continuous or intermittent color signals to the operator and the device might also include an alpha-numeric area. The device might form part of a leg separator and/or sprayer and/or milk hose support. A milking platform with such a device is also claimed.

Growing community of inventors

Hamilton, New Zealand

Graeme David McDougal