Lely Enterprises Ag

Lely Research Holding Ag

Lely Patent N.v.

Lely Enterprises Ag a Swiss Limited Liability Co.

Maasland N.v.

Renatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen

Karel Van Den Berg

Gerard Mostert

Alexander Van Der Lely

Eduard Lodewijk Meijer

Adrianus Maria Seerden

Frank Gerard Regelink

Korstiaan Cornelis Blokland

Aalze Veenstra

Nicolaas Johannes Wilhelmus Van Paassen

Wilhelmus Johannes Adrianus Van Lier

Carlo Van Sonsbeek

Ingrid Elisabeth Maria Den Uijl

Alexander Adrianus Van Leeuwen

Tjark Onno Klee

A method, using an autonomous, unmanned device and a control device, includes the steps of automatically harvesting feed crop in a part of a crop field by means of the autonomous, unmanned device; automatically loading the harvested feed crop directly into a storage space provided on the autonomous, unmanned device without said harvested feed crop contacting the soil; choosing a destination location from a feeding location and a stationary crop processing location; automatically transporting the harvested feed crop from the crop field to the chosen destination location by means of the autonomous, unmanned device; and automatically unloading harvested feed from the storage space of the autonomous, unmanned device at the chosen destination location.

Agricultural method and system for performing the method

A device for maintenance of floor cover material present on an animal-shed floor in an animal shed, and including: a pick-up mechanism, a press, a moisture collector, and a moisture supply mechanism. The pick-up mechanism is configured to pick up floor cover material from the animal-shed floor and supply it to the press, the press is configured to press the supplied floor cover material and to supply moisture which has been squeezed out to the moisture collector and to convey pressed floor cover material to the animal-shed floor. The moisture supply mechanism is configured to supply moisture to the floor cover material which has been picked up.

Device for the maintenance of floor cover material present on an animal-shed floor

A method of milking an animal comprises determining the identity of the animal and discharging the milk obtained by milking the identified animal to a storage container. The identity of the animal is determined after connecting a teat cup to a teat of the animal or after confining the animal in a milking place and before discharging the milk to the storage container. An installation for milking an animal is provided with a determination device for determining the identity of the animal, a transport arrangement for transporting milk to a storage container for storing the milk and with a control unit for controlling the determination device and the transport arrangements. The control unit is programmed for additionally determining the identity of the animal after connecting a teat cup to a teat of the animal or after confining the animal in a milking place and before discharging the milk to the storage container.

Method of and an installation for milking an animal

A device for milking animals includes a milking robot for automatically connecting at least two teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked. The milk yielded is collected in a milk container. In each milk line, between a respective teat cup and the milk container, there is provided an auxiliary reservoir for collecting milk obtained at the beginning of the milking process. The auxiliary reservoir has an outlet aperture with a closing device. Each auxiliary reservoir is disposed in a respective mounting block, the various mounting blocks being arranged side by side, and the device is provided with an arrangement for simultaneously operating the closing devices.

Device for milking animals

A method of automatically milking a dairy animal by means of an automatic milking device, including successively the steps of automatic connection of a first teat cup to a first teat of the dairy animal, manipulating the first teat cup connected to the first teat to reduce interference with a second teat of the dairy animal, and automatic connection of a second teat cup to a second teat of the dairy animal.

Method of automatically milking a dairy animal

A management system for domesticated animals, such as cows, which comprises an animal identification system, a central unit provided with a computer which has a memory. The memory contains for each animal of the herd data which relates to the animal's position or status in the hierarchic order of the herd. The memory also contains data for each animal relating to its jostling behavior. This management is used in an automated system wherein procedures such as feeding and milking are performed on animals of the herd. The position or status of each animal in the hierarchic order of the herd is determined and the data thereof are stored in the memory. At least one of the procedures affecting each animal in the herd is governed, at least in part, by data in the memory relating to the animal's status or position in the hierarchic order of the herd and also by data concerning the animal's jostling behavior.

Arrangement for and a method of managing a herd of animals

A vehicle for automatically milking dairy farm animals which carries a milk reservoir having milk lines which connect to a set of teat cups that are automatically connected to animals' teats by a milking robot. The vehicle is supported from the underlying surface by wheels, caterpillar tracks, or an air cushion, and includes navigational equipment which controls the vehicle so that it positions itself under the animals' teats whereupon the teat cups automatically placed on the relevant animals' teats one by one or in pairs. The vehicle also has its own propulsion power source. The vehicle including all its components is movable and displaceable as a whole. A gripping mechanism for connecting the vehicle to an animal may be included. In a variation, a central station carries a milk reservoir and a plurality of satellite milking units as described above seek out and milk the dairy farm animals. Such units are coupled to the central station by conduits otherwise to deliver milk they receive from the animals to the reservoir carried by the central station.

Construction for automatically milking animals

An apparatus and method for milking an animal, in particular a cow, that uses a stress measuring device for determining the animal's degree of stress and to supply stress measurement data to a memory that stores the stress measurement data. Stress measurement data are obtained before, during and preferably after milking. The stress measuring device comprises at least one instrument selected from a group consisting of an infrared meter for measuring the animal's infrared image, a hygrometer for determining the humidity of the animal's fur or nose, and iris scanner for determining the animal's eye characteristics, and an odor meter for determining the animal's breath or body odor, a muscular tension measuring instrument for determining the animal's muscular tension, an excrement analyzing instrument for determining the characteristics of the animal's excrement, and a muscle vibration meter for determining the animal's muscle vibrations.

Device for and a method of milking an animal, a device for monitoring an animal

A system for automatically milking animals is provided with a milking robot and a computer which is capable of being connected to a plurality of measuring instruments for a plurality of functions of the system and physiological conditions of the animals being milked. Monitoring programs for the functions and conditions are installed in a computer which, based on comparison reference data, determines that one or more components of the system is likely to fail or otherwise malfunction and reports on abnormal physiological conditions of animals being milked by the system. As a result of the computer determinations, diagnoses of the likelihood of failure or other malfunction of one or more of the system's components, and of abnormal conditions of the animals being milked, are transmitted to interested parties including a user and a service mechanic together with the appropriate actions to be taken.

An apparatus for the automated milking of animals, such as cows, which comprises a milking compartment and a milking robot associated with the milking compartment. The milking robot is provided with a controllable robot arm that connects and disconnects teat cups to and from the teats of an animal being milked. In one embodiment, the robot arm is suspended from a ball joint so that control of the robot arm is relatively simple, reliable and accurate. In another embodiment the robot arm is suspended from a rail disposed near the top of the milking compartment wherein the rail is pivotably connected to a further rail on top of the milking compartment so that it can be pivoted upwardly and downwardly by a piston and cylinder arrangement. In a third embodiment, the robot arm is suspended from a bearing having a vertical axis in the upper aspect of the milking compartment whereby the robot arm includes two tubes which may be telescoping to provide both horizontal and vertical movements which are used for positioning teat cups under the teats of the animal being milked so that they can be connected or disconnected therefrom and in the latter event moved outside of the milking compartment.

A device for cooling a dairy animal, such as a cow. Said device is provided with wetting means for applying liquid to at least a part of the dairy animal and with air displacing means for generating an air flow along the wetted part. The device comprises a wetting area, said wetting area exclusively comprising the wetting means and not the air displacing means. The device comprises a ventilation area located at some distance from the wetting area, the ventilation area comprising the air displacing means. The device is provided with a path for the dairy animal, said path connecting the wetting area with the ventilation area.

Device for cooling a dairy animal, such as a cow

An apparatus for the automated milking of animals such as cows in a milking compartment with a milking robot which is provided with a controllable robot arm for supporting and connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal in the milking compartment to be milked. The milking compartment is provided with a guide element for guiding movement of the robot arm. The guide element is so configured that the robot arm when moving along the guide element pivots the robot arm about a substantially vertical axis so that the teat cups are pivoted between a first position which is out of reach of the animal to be milked in the milking compartment to a second position located under the animal's udder. The mechanical guide element preferably includes a gear teeth arrangement whereby there is a gear type meshed connection between rollers that support the robot arm and the guide element to provide a robust mechanism and accurate pivoting movement by the robot arm.

An apparatus for automated milking of animals which comprises a milking compartment and a milking robot that is provided with teat cups and a mechanism for connecting the teat cups to the animals being milking in milking compartment. A carrier element for the teat cups is disclosed which is movable in three dimensions while being supported and moved by three sets of controlled piston and cylinder elements, each set of said elements having one end on ends thereof connected to the milking compartment and the other end thereof connected to the carrier element, the connections to the carrier element (as seen in plan) not being aligned. Each set of controlled piston and cylinder elements consists of two controlled piston and elements which are in &ldquo;V&rdquo; configurations so that there are three non-aligned connections of each set to the carrier element and six non-aligned connections to the milking compartment.

Growing community of inventors

Vlaardingen, Netherlands

Renatus Ignatius Josephus Fransen