Abstract: In a method of positioning means for automatically milking animals, such as cows, there is used a robot construction. The means for automatically milking are positioned, by means of said robot construction, in the longitudinal direction of the milking parlour relative to a reference plane situated transversely to said longitudinal direction, in which reference plane the centre of gravity of the relevant animal is located.

Abstract: An apparatus for milking animals, such as cows, which comprises a milking compartment including a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked in the compartment and automatically milking the animal. The apparatus is additionally provided with a milk container for receiving the milk from the animal. In at least one milk line and preferably in each of the milk lines, an auxiliary reservoir is disposed between the teat cups and the milk container. A fixed quantity of milk, in particular the foremilk, usually obtained at the commencement of the milking process, is collected in the auxiliary reservoir. Milk obtained thereafter is primarily guided to the milk container.

Abstract: A milking robot has articulated arms extensible into a milking compartment or parlor to place a teat cup onto each of the animal's teats. Also extended from outside into the parlor is a further articulated arm that carries a detector for ascertaining the location of the animal's teats, such information being used to connect the teat cups automatically. An electromagnetic gripper at the end of each robot arm has a seat to match the teat cup's shell. Each teat cup is loosely connected to two cables. A generally vertical cable connects it to an upper part of the milking parlor. A generally horizontal cable extends from a corresponding teat cup carrier located outside the parlor. The teat cups are moved to be received by the animal's teats by the robot arms and grippers which are then withdrawn from the milking parlor. Teat cups dislodged from teats are supported in approximately an upright position by their vertical cables and are pulled to teat cup carriers outside the parlor by their horizontal cables.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for rinsing and cleaning lines in which milk has flowed in a system for automatically milking animals. The circuit includes a tank for heating water, receiving hot or cold water or a regulated mixture thereof and receiving selectively acid or alkali cleaning agents. The circuit includes a jet rinser for each teat cup and a line from each teat cup to a common milking jar or claw. Fluid from the jar or claw can be recirculated via a pump to the tank or discharged to a sewer. A first supply line for the circuit provides a pre-rinsing liquid, and a second supply line provides a rinsing liquid which is obtained specifically from the tank. Each rinse jetter has an individual valve controlled by the pulsator which, in concert controlled by a computer, equalize the rinsing and cleaning fluids received by each teat cup. Supply lines to the tank from the acid and alkali sources control the mixture of water and the acid or alkali by means of an adjustable controlled Venturi element.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system for automatically milking animals, such as cows, by a milking robot which emplaces teat cups on the teats of the animal, wherein the milking of the animal commences for a predetermined short length of time or for a short period of time that it takes for a sensor to determine that foremilking of the animal has been completed. The foremilk is diverted from the milking conduit and the teat cups are removed, cleaned and replaced on the teats of the animal following foremilking, after which the conventional automatic milking of the animal is completed.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically milking animals in a milking compartment by means of teat cups on a robot arm that also includes a sensing device for locating the teats of the animal to be milked. The robot arm is automatically positioned longitudinally under the animal to be milked and includes a cleaning element which is connected thereto by a further arm member that can pivot relative to the robot arm about substantially horizontal and vertical axes. The cleaning member is pivotable from a position for cleaning the animal's teats to a further position displaced therefrom. The cleaning member includes a cover plate thereunder which is disposed under the cleaning member and above the teat cups mounted on the robot arm when in position for cleaning the animal's teats. The cleaning member comprises motor rotated parallel horizontal profiled spaced apart rollers and a spraying device is provided on the cleaning member for moistening the rollers.

Abstract: The upper part of a brace is concave to receive a human calf and extends forwardly at either side of the calf. Elastic straps extend from the upper right and left sides of the brace downwardly to the top outside of a modified conventional shoe to support the shoe from plantarflexion as well as inversion and eversion. The lower end of the brace is removably and pivotally connected to the heel curve of the shoe.

Abstract: A mowing machine comprising a mowing unit, a crushing member and an adjusting mechanism, by means of which one or more crushing parameters can be adjusted. At least one sensor is provided, by means of which the extent to which the crushing member is loaded during operation is recorded. This sensor also supplies one or more control signals to the above-mentioned adjusting mechanism to obtain automatic adjustment of the machine's crushing parameters. The adjusting mechanism can adjust the relative positions of the crushing member and the mowing unit, the rpm of the crushing member and the size of the crop channel, among other things.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising a robotic mechanism, two computers each having a display screen and keyboard, the apparatus having a plurality of exchangeable parts provided with a signalling device to transmit information when an exchangeable part is malfunctioning, the signalling device also identifying the malfunctioning part on one of the display screens of a computer. An emergency electrical battery is provided at an individual compartment for milking an animal for providing electrical power in the event of failure of the main power, and a computer is provided for closing down non-vital functions in the event of such power failure or of malfunctioning of the part or parts concerned.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising a milking robot provided for teat cups which are movably connected by articulated movable arms to the remainder of the milking robot. The articulated arms are configured by eight stepping motors which are controlled, via a computer, by signals from a detector on the milking robot which detects the location of the animal's teats, whereupon the teat cups are adjusted so that each teat cup is under a corresponding teat of the animal, and the teat cups are raised to be coupled with the animal's teats. The teat cups are connected to the pivotable robot arms by cords or cables which are connected on their other ends to cylinder/piston units so as to draw the teat cups taut against the ends of the arms when the teat cups are being emplaced on the animal's teats and the cords or cables are played out after such emplacement so that the animal can move, within limits, without dislodging the teat cups or being impeded by them.

Abstract: A milk sampling device is provided with a removable cassette in which milk sample collecting elements can be placed, and at least one filling member capable of being placed successively above various collecting elements. Said filling member is capable of introducing milk samples, taken from milk from an automatic milking machine, into the collecting elements. There is provided a guide supporting at least one filling member, which guide is designed so that the filling member is moved, by increasing the distance between the guide and the cassette and by subsequently decreasing said distance, from a position above a collecting element to an adjacent position above an adjacent collecting element. In particular, the milk sampling device is appropriate for an apparatus that automatically connects teat cups to the teats of an animal, automatically milks the animal and thereafter automatically disconnects the teat cups from the animal's teats.

Abstract: The Invention relates to a construction including an implement for milking animals, such as cows, provided with a milk box (2). In the milk box (2) the floor (15) is designed as a flexible conveyer (16), below which there is disposed a flexible floor (31) supported against a metal plate (33). The floor (31), provided with recesses (32) at the underside, is relatively flexible. In the milk box (2) there is furthermore provided a trough (14) including a mixing device, by means of which a lure substance, such as treacle, can be added to the concentrate. Moreover, the milk box (2) is provided with a medical instrumenl (36), by means of which the blood pressure, the heartbeat, the temperature, etc. of an animal in the mild box (2) can be determined. In addition, the milk box (2) is provided with a sensor, by means of which the physical state of the animal's legs can be determined.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals comprising a milking machine provided with teat cups. Each teat cup has three lines connected thereto which include a line causing the teat cup to pulsate, a line for carrying milk from the teat cup, and an air suction line extending into an enlarged lower space above the connection of the milk line. In the air suction line, a sensor can be incorporated for the purpose of ascertaining the pressure in the space wherein the animal's teat is received. The three lines received by the teat cup may be defined by side-by-side passages through a common flexible integral line. The enlarged lower part which contains the space receiving the air suction line has a greater diameter than the upper part in which the teat of the animal is received, and the upper and lower parts are removably interconnected to each other.

Abstract: A quantity meter for determining the quantity of liquid flowing through a line is provided with at least two electrically conducting elements arranged in the line spaced from each other and being in communication with an electronic circuit. This electronic circuit determines the quantity of liquid which has flowed through the line on the basis of the electric conductivity of the liquid, the length of the interval of time during which a unit of milk passes between the two electrically conducting elements, the distance between the electrically conducting elements, the rate of flow of the liquid and the specific electrical resistance.

Abstract: An apparatus for milking animals, such as cows, comprising at least one milking parlor including at least one milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked, automatically milking this animal, and automatically disconnecting the teat cups from the animal's teats. The apparatus is further provided with at least two detectors for determining the positions of the animal's teats, which detectors are fixedly mounted relative to the milking parlor so as to be movable in their own housings whereby they each scan a sector which includes the foremost teats of the animal. Each detector is protected by a dome-shaped filter which is transparent to signals received by the detectors for locating the animal's teats. A spray cleaning device mounted on a framework defining the milking parlor selectively sprays a fluid to clean each dome-shaped filter.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for automatically milking animals, such as cows, including a milking robot with a laser detector for locating and emplacing teat cups on an animal's teats while in a milking compartment, milking the animal, and upon concluding the milking operation, withdrawing the teat cups and moving them from underneath the animal. The milking compartment has at its forward end a feeding trough and one or more devices for measuring the weight and/or quantity of fodder in the feeding trough. The apparatus also has a metering device for dispensing fodder, such as fodder concentrate, into the feeding trough. The metering device is computer controlled. With the aid of the computer, the anticipated feeding period is predetermined based on the animal's identity.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals such as cows by a milking machine which is under the control of a computer for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of the animal, for automatically milking the animal, and for automatically disconnecting the teat cups from the animal. The apparatus is further provided with an animal recognition or identification system which is a communication with the computer system. This computer system is capable of generating a signal when the number of animals that have been milked after the latest milking turn of an animal returning to be milked by the apparatus exceeds a predetermined numerical value. This signal generated by the computer denotes that this particular animal is eligible to be milked. Otherwise, the animal is lead from a pre-milking selected compartment into an area away from the apparatus.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus including an implement for milking animals such as cows in one or more milking compartments, having at least one automatic feeding system, and at least one animal identification system, both connected to a computer. During the milking of the animal, a quantity of fodder which is adjusted for the particular animal is automatically supplied to that animal by a computer-controlled feeding system. This quantity of fodder is supplied so as to be distributed over the expected milking period.