C. Van Der Lely N.v.

Maasland N.v.

Rene Fransen

Karel Van Den Berg

Edwin Van Der Lely

Ary Van Der Lely

Olaf Van Der Lely

Karel Van Der Berg

Karek Van Den Berg

Alexander Van Der Lely

A sensor apparatus for determining the position of the teat of an animal to be milked present in a space relative to the sensor apparatus. The sensor apparatus is provided with two transmitter elements which are affixed to a housing and produce a ray or beam of rays received by a directional element which is a rotating mirror. The directional element directs the ray or beam of rays to two side-by-side sectors which overlap by two degrees. Reflections are received by two receiver elements spaced below the transmitter element via lenses. Mirrors affixed to the housing reflect the rays or beams of rays from the transmitter elements to the directional element which also transmits via such mirrors reflections of the teat from the ray or beam of rays to lenses included in the receiver elements. The receiver elements convert the reflections into signals which are evaluated to determine the position of the teat relative to the housing. The rays or beam of rays are directed by the directional element through a window transparent to the ray or beam of rays which coincides with a semi-cylindrical surface having an axis substantially the same as the axis of rotation of the directional member.

Sensor apparatus and method to scan separate overlapping space volumes

An apparatus and method for automatically milking animals which include a milking compartment or compartments which have a milking unit comprising an automatic milking machine secured to a robot arm which extends from under the teats of the animal being milked to outside of the milking compartment. The robot arm outside the milking compartment is supported by a sidewardly pivotal portion which includes a piston and cylinder member for raising and lowering the milking unit and a further piston and cylinder movement for pivoting sidewardly a carrier included in the portion. A rail is disposed over the milking compartment either centrally or to one side, or if there is more than one milking compartment which are disposed side-by-side, then the rail extends longitudinally between the milking compartments. The carrier together with the piston and cylinder member and the piston and cylinder unit and the milking unit are movable via a motor and roller longitudinally along the rail, by the piston and cylinder member vertically, and by a piston and cylinder unit sidewardly so that the milking machine can be selectively disposed under the animal's teats for automatic connection of teat cups thereto or can be moved to the side so that the milking machine does not impede the animal from entering and exiting the milking compartment.

Apparatus and method for automatically milking animals

Automatic milking and milk cooling apparatus

A method for milking animals, such as cows, wherein the cows enter a milking compartment where teat cups of a milking apparatus are automatically attached to their teats. In the milk conduit system leading from the teat cups, sensors are placed to measure a variety of parameters and provide data to a computer for processing and presenting the data which the computer receives from the sensors. This data includes information from a flow sensitive sensor, a temperature sensitive sensor, and a sensor sensitive to electric conductivity of the milk. Information is also provided from the milking compartment to the computer on how much food is consumed by each animal, and how many times each animal enters the milking compartment. The computer compares the data received from the various sensors with similar data from immediately preceding selected periods of time, whereby a progressive average of the relevant data is available and compared for each animal. The data received for ill or animals in estrus differ from those of healthy and non-estrus animals, whereby the sensors are detecting and the computer is processing and determining from the data provided from the sensors on a continuing basis which animals are and are not healthy or in estrus.

Method of milking animals automatically while determining their

A milking apparatus comprising a circulation line in a milk circuit which includes a bulk milk tank, and a pump for circulating milk around the circuit including through the tank and through the circulation line. There are one or more milking compartments for automatically milking animals, such as cows, which are connected to the circulation line by supply lines. A milk filter can be incorporated in a circulation line or in a supply line or both. In one embodiment the milk filter is automatically renewable. It comprises a band of filtration material wound on two bobbins wherein the filter band intercepts the milk line at a bias cut between two clamping plates, one of which can be pivoted whereby the filter band is advanced automatically on a bobbin. Other filtration units are disclosed which may be manually replaced, one of which is contained in the bulk milk tank. Each milking compartment can be isolated whereby the milk lines, a deaeration container, an implement for cleaning animal's teats and udders, and the interiors and exteriors of the teat cups can be cleansed and rinsed with various combinations of hot and cold water, acid and alkaline liquids, and a disinfectant fluid.

Milking apparatus

A method an apparatus for automatically cleaning the udder and teats of an animal, following milking, wherein after the teat cups have been automatically removed from the teats of the animal, a robot arm moves under the teats of the animal which sprays an after-treating liquid upwardly in a fan-shaped pattern against the animal's udder and teats. The teat cups are moved away from the animal's udder and teats while they are being sprayed in a manner so that the teat cups which have been removed are never under an area which has just been sprayed by the fan-shaped pattern.

Method and apparatus for automatically cleaning the teats and udder of

Implement for and a method of milking animals automatically

An apparatus and method for automatically cleaning the teat cups of a milking apparatus. The teat cups are automatically removed by a robot arm from the animal's teats. Nozzles are provided which are automatically inserted into the openings for the teats located on top of the teat cups. In the cleaning operation, the nozzles are, in effect, connected to the teat cups and spray a cleansing and/or rinsing liquid through an upper set of outlets from the nozzle to clean the upper surfaces of the teat cups and through a lower set of nozzle outlets to clean and rinse the interior of the teat cups as well as the lines connected therewith. Associated with the nozzles are rotatable cleaning members for cleaning the animals' teats and udders in the vicinity thereof. Brushes and spray nozzles are provided for automatically cleaning these cleaning members after use. All operations are programmed to occur automatically without human assistance or intervention.

Method of cleaning teat cups and/or after-treating the teats of a milked

A milking plant for cows is provided with a milking machine comprising teat cups, which are connected separately to the teats of an animal. The milk obtained from each udder quarter is conveyed through a separate line to a milk measuring device. The milk measuring device includes four milk meters, one for each teat cup, having separate discharge lines coupled to common discharge lines which connect with a circulation line or loop that includes a bulk milk cooling tank, a two-speed or variable speed pump, and a plurality of heat exchangers for precooling the milk received from the common discharge lines before it is received in the bulk milk cooling tank and to recirculate and cool the milk received in the bulk milk cooling tank. After the milk has been discharged from the bulk milk cooling tank and the system is to be disinfected, washed and rinsed, the heat exchangers being used in a heat pump arrangement, can heat the fluid therein as selected and desired for sanitizing the system.

A milking system for dairy animals comprising individual teat cups attachable to the respective teats of the animal's udder, a measuring device to determine the volume of milk discharged from individual teats, a central vacuum system to aid the discharge of the milk from the teats as well as to propel both the milk and the cleaning fluid through the system's fluid lines, a cooling tank, and an array of sensors to determine various parameters of the milk and milking system, including temperature sensors, milk conductivity sensors, air-to-milk ratio sensors, pressure sensors and fluid level sensors. The sensors are arranged at various points in the milking system, including in the individual teat cups, the milk measuring device and the discharge lines, and are optionally coupled to a central computer which controls both the individual components of the milking system and working parameters of the system as a whole, including an automatic cleaning system for cleaning the teat cups, fluid lines and cooling tank. The system diverts milk from the milk otherwise collected that has too high of a temperature or more than a predetermined conductivity indicating it may not have been produced in a healthy teat or udder.

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Vlaardingen, Netherlands

Rene Fransen