Patents Represented by Attorney David P. Owen
  • Patent number: 7484474
    Abstract: A method of milking an animal uses a movable feed platform. The method involves setting the movable feed platform in motion; allowing the animal free access to board the feed platform; connecting a teat cup to a teat of the animal, the teat cup being arranged separately from the feed platform; milking the animal on the feed platform during a milking period; providing the animal a span of time on the feed platform in which the animal is not milked, said span of time having a magnitude amounting to at least approximately half the milking period; and subsequently allowing the animal exit from the feed platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
    Inventors: Karel Van Den Berg, Greorgius Rudolphius Bos
  • Patent number: 7415837
    Abstract: A dewpoint cooler comprises: two medium circuits coupled mutually via a heat-conducting wall, through which circuits two media can flow, wherein the second medium contains gas, which wall has heat-conducting protrusions; wherein the wall and the protrusions are covered with a hydrophilic coating which can absorb an evaporable liquid and relinquish it again through evaporation such that the wetted coating, and thereby also the heath-conducting surfaces and the protrusions, are cooled; a wetting unit for subjecting the secondary medium to wetting by the evaporable liquid by evaporating liquid from the coating such that the evaporated liquid entrained by the secondary medium extracts heat from the primary medium via the heath-conducting wall. The coating consists of a porous technical ceramic material, such as a mineral wool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Oxycom Beheer B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes Antonius Maria Reinders
  • Patent number: 7370604
    Abstract: A method of milking an animal, in which method a movable milking platform is used. The method comprises the following steps: setting the movable milking platform in motion, allowing an animal access to the milking platform, supplying a sort of feed to an animal on the milking platform, subsequently allowing the animal exit from the milking platform, and milking the animal on the milking platform during a milking period. The method further comprises the step of providing the animal a span of time on the milking platform in which the animal is not milked, the span of time having a magnitude that amounts to at least approximately half the milking period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Lely Enterprises AG
    Inventors: Karel Van Den Berg, Greorgius Rudolphius Bos
  • Patent number: 6796271
    Abstract: A device for automatically milking an animal. The device is provided with at least two teat cups to be connected to respective teats of the animal. The milking vacuum unit generates a milking vacuum in the teat cups, which milking vacuum unit comprises at least two vacuum lines that are each connectable to a respective teat cup. The milking vacuum unit comprises a common vacuum pump and a common buffer vessel to which vacuum can be applied by use of the common vacuum pump. All vacuum lines are connectable to the common buffer vessel. An individual buffer vessel is provided in each vacuum line and is disposed between the common buffer vessel and the respective teat cup. An individual buffer vessel is provided with a respective individual vacuum pump for applying vacuum to the individual buffer vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Lely Enterprises A.G.
    Inventor: Karel van den Berg
  • Patent number: 6799096
    Abstract: A method for power optimization in a vehicle/train, using time reserves which are included when planning a schedule, is proposed. In order to achieve a power-saving travel mode with the aid of an optimization algorithm, the presence of a number of completely or partially autonomous drive systems is taken into account, the separate functions of efficiency or power loss of each drive system being taken into consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventors: Rudiger Franke, Peter Terwiesch, Markus Meyer, Christian Klose, Karl-Hermann Ketteler
  • Patent number: 6776119
    Abstract: A device for separating milk obtained from a dairy animal. Said device is provided with a processing device, with a measuring device for measuring at least one milk variable during a milking run of a dairy animal and for issuing a signal indicative of the measured value to the processing device. The processing device is provided with a memory suitable for containing a reference value for the milk variable, and with a comparing device for comparing the measured value of the milk variable with the reference value and for issuing a comparison signal. The device separates milk in dependence on the comparison signal. The measuring device is suitable for measuring during the entire course of the milking run the value of the milk variable for obtaining a momentary measurement pattern of the milk variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Lely Enterprises A.G.
    Inventors: Helena Geralda Maria Vijverberg, Elena Espada Aventin