Patents Assigned to GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
  • Patent number: 10827720
    Abstract: In order to avoid negative changes in the teat ends of a cow, in particular to avoid hyperkeratoses, the invention proposes a method for operating a milking system in which at least one of the parameters from total pressure per cycle, minimum total pressure per cycle or the ratio of total suction to total pressure is determined for at least one animal of a herd during at least one part of a milking process, and is compared with at least one reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Uhlenbruck, Martin Spohr
  • Patent number: 10694717
    Abstract: The invention relates to a milking parlor arrangement (1), in particular a milking carousel, comprising at least one milking parlor (3) for milking milk-producing animals (T) and comprising an inner robot device with at least one robot arm (9). The at least one milking parlor (3) comprises two longitudinal sides and two narrow sides, namely a head narrow side and a hindquarters narrow side, one narrow side being paired with the head side of a milk-producing animal (T) to be milked as the head narrow side. The milking parlor also comprises an arm device (6) with a milking machine (5), said arm device being adjustable between a parked position and a working position and back. The at least one robot arm (9) is arranged on the head narrow side paired with the head side of the animal (T) to be milked of the at least one milking parlor (3) of the milking parlor arrangement (1) in order to adjust the arm device (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Krone, Olaf Suhr, Bernhard Schulze-Wartenhorst, Erich Schneider, Thomas Mader
  • Patent number: 10609897
    Abstract: In order to provide a feed mixture, a feed mixer is proposed which has a container. The container has a bottom and a wall which is connected to the bottom and delimits a filling opening, the area of which is greater than the area of the bottom. A rotatable auger is provided which can be rotated about an axis, the axis running substantially perpendicularly with respect to the bottom. The feed mixer has a pivoting device which is intended and suitable for pivoting the container during a mixing operation, in particular after a predefined time period or after a predefined number of revolutions of the at least one auger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Henrik Lund Hansen
  • Patent number: 10602713
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Graeme David McDougal, Jamie Christopher Joseph Mikkelson, Rodrick Peter Staheli
  • Patent number: 10502330
    Abstract: A safety valve for a cleaning device for a milking installation for milking milk-providing animals having a pair of block valves, a bleed valve, a sliding hollow piston, and a drive unit that are adjustable between a blocking position in which the blocking valves are closed and the bleed valve is open and a throughput position in which the blocking valves are open and the vent valve is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Balkenhol
  • Patent number: 10440931
    Abstract: An arm device for a milking parlor arrangement for the automatic milking of milk-producing animals comprises an arm and a holder, which is coupled to the arm in a pivotable manner and has a milking cluster, wherein the arm is connected to an arm-drive shaft and is mounted such that it can be rotated about an arm axis, wherein a holder-drive shaft is mounted in the arm-drive shaft such that it can be rotated independently of the arm-drive shaft, wherein the arm-drive shaft and the holder-drive shaft are designed such that they can be coupled to a drive unit, wherein the arm device has at least one transmission element in the form of a pulling means for transmitting rotary or pivoting movements. The at least one transmission element is fixed in each case to respective wheels, with which it interacts in order to transmit rotary or pivoting movements. The invention also relates to a divider for a milking parlor arrangement having said arm device, and to a milking-parlor arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Otto Krone
  • Patent number: 10426128
    Abstract: A safety valve device for a milking installation for milking milk-producing animals having a first valve with a first port and with a first port connector, a second valve with a second port and with a second port connector, a third valve with a third port and a third port connector, a drive, a common actuator, and at least one valve spring, and arranged so that the first port connector of the first valve is in fluid communication with the second port connector of the second valve, and the safety valve device can be moved between a first switching position, in which the first valve and the second valve are closed in order to block the first port and the second port and the third valve, is open a transition position, in which the first valve, the second valve and the third valve are closed, and a second switching position, in which the first valve and the second valve are open to connect the first port to the second port and the third valve is closed to block the third port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhard Balkenhol, Jake Kallenbach, Matthew J. Stuessel, Kevin L. Torgerson
  • Patent number: 10349630
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for real time detection of the position and behavior of a plurality of animals which system comprises radio transmitter tags carried by the animals, where sensors receives signal from the tags, which system based of time delay of received signals at the sensors from the tags, perform calculation the position of the animals. It is the first object of the invention to achieve real time position of animal in a limited area. The object can be fulfilled by letting the system comprise a computer bases real time position calculation of the position of the animals, which system comprises a plurality of fixed reference radio transmitter tags, which system continuously based of received signal from the reference tags performs a calibration of the measured position of the animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Keld Florczak
  • Patent number: 10251366
    Abstract: In order to avoid negative changes in the teat ends of a cow, in particular to avoid hyperkeratoses, the invention proposes a method for operating a milking system in which at least one of the parameters from total pressure per cycle, minimum total pressure per cycle or the ratio of total suction to total pressure is determined for at least one animal of a herd during at least one part of a milking process, and is compared with at least one reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Uhlenbruck, Martin Spohr
  • Patent number: 10234535
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer system for measuring real time position of a plurality of animals, which system receives input from a plurality of sensors, communicating with at least tags carried by the animals, which system based of measurement of delay in radio communication calculates the actual position of the animals. It is the first object of the invention to achieve real time position of animals in a limited area. A further object is based of the real time position to analyze the behavior of each of the animals. The sensors further performs communication with a plurality of reference tags, and performs a calibration of the real time position measured by the system, which system comprises a CPU with at least two cores, which system divides the data processing in a first real time position processing in the first core of the processor, and into a second processing of the activity of the animals performed in the second core of the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Karen Helle Sloth, Daniel Frederiksen
  • Patent number: 10212913
    Abstract: The invention relates to a teat cup cleaning unit comprising a distribution unit which has an inlet and at least two outlets for a cleaning liquid. The distribution unit has a calming chamber and a distribution chamber. The calming chamber is connected to the distribution chamber via an opening. The inlet opens into the calming chamber. A cleaning liquid leaves the distribution chamber through the passages leading to the outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Christelle Theis
  • Patent number: 9968069
    Abstract: A milking cluster used for milking a dairy animal in a milking parlor, the milking cluster including a teat cup unit, a teat cup, a drive device, a hose arrangement joined to the teat cup, a hose guide engaging the hose arrangement, and a flexible element that pivots the hose guide between a fixed position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Otto Krone
  • Patent number: 9918450
    Abstract: A space divider of a milking parlor arrangement for at least one milking parlor for milking milk-producing animals, wherein the space divider is arranged approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the animal to be milked, has an arm device having a milking cluster, which can be adjusted from a parking position to a working position and back. The arm device is arranged with the milking cluster in the parking position in the space divider and can be adjusted into the working position laterally to the animal to be milked between the front and rear legs thereof. The space divider is designed in such a way that no additional space is required between adjacent animals, so that many animals can be milked in a milking parlor arrangement while the smallest possible amount of space is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Krone, Derk Hensel, Thomas Mader, Rolf Teckentrup, Armin Hönscheid, Dieter Hille, Magnus Wiethoff, Marc Trossehl, Reinhard Balkenhol, Adib Matty
  • Patent number: 9848576
    Abstract: A milking cluster for a milking parlor for milking milk-giving animals, having at least one teat cup unit having a housing, a teat cup, a drive appliance, a pulling element arrangement connected to the teat cup, and the pulling element arrangement has a segment unit having at least two pulling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Krone, Markus Auburger
  • Patent number: 9801351
    Abstract: The invention relates to a milking unit comprising a milk collection part and at least two milk tubes that are connected to the milk collection part. At least one end of the milk tube has an essentially spherical clamping body, the central point of the clamping body being offset in relation to the longitudinal axis (S) of the milk tube and/or the clamping body having a channel with a mouth. The longitudinal axis (S) penetrates a plane, on which the cross-sectional surface of the mouth lies at an angle that is not equal to 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Auburger, Martin Neumann, Thomas Orban
  • Patent number: 9730424
    Abstract: A space divider (4) of a milking parlor arrangement for at least one milking parlor (3) for milking milk-producing animals (T), wherein the space divider (4) is arranged approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the animal (T) to be milked, has an arm device (6) having a milking cluster (5, 5?), which can be adjusted from a parking position to a working position and back. The arm device (6) is arranged with the milking cluster (5) in the parking position in the space divider (4), wherein the milking cluster (5, 5?) can be adjusted into the working position laterally to the animal (T) to be milked between the front and rear legs thereof. The milking cluster (5, 5?) comprises two halves, wherein each half has a specific set of at least one teatcup (5a). The space divider (4) is designed in such a way that no additional space is required between adjacent animals (T), so that many animals (T) can be milked in a milking parlor arrangement (1, 1?, 1?) while the smallest possible amount of space is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Krone, Derk Hensel, Armin Hönscheid, Dieter Hille, Erich Schneider, Marc Trossehl, Thomas Mader
  • Patent number: D818215
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Helm, Daniel Fichte
  • Patent number: D830372
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Torsten Gratzki
  • Patent number: D864503
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Helm, Daniel Fichte
  • Patent number: D878397
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Torsten Gratzki