Abstract: An autonomous movable vehicle including: a propelling device; a fluid receiving conduit having at least one fill opening through which a container can be filled; at least one fluid dispensing opening through which a fluid is dispensed; and a controller that causes the vehicle to autonomously approach a fluid delivery station that is separate from the vehicle and that causes the fill opening to couple to the fluid delivery station, wherein when the fill opening and the fluid delivery station are in an interfacing position, fluid is transferred from the fluid delivery station into the container, and the fill opening of the fluid receiving conduit is disposed at a location spaced apart from and to one side of a central mirror axis of the vehicle which axis extends in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention provides an autonomous vehicle for displacing feed laterally, comprising a frame having two separately drivable rear wheels and a front supporting point, and a feed displacer in the form of an annular element which is freely rotatable and has a radius r, said element forming the outer circumference of the vehicle. In order to enhance the control stability, the rear wheels are situated at a distance of less than a radius from the geometric center of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention provides a milking device having at least one teat cup connectable to a teat of a dairy animal, and a method of controlling the milking device. A measuring sensor measures the amount of milk secreted. Data regarding the dairy animal are collected in a control unit. The method includes the steps of: providing a milking frequency determined in a first manner at a first lactation phase and a milking frequency determined in a second, different manner at a later, second lactation phase, for example, the stimulation phase and the stable phase, respectively, wherein the first manner results in a higher milking frequency than the second manner in the same circumstances; identifying a dairy animal and determining the associated milking frequency; milking the dairy animal dependent on the milking frequency; determining the milk production; and switching from the first to the second lactation phase, dependent on the milk production.

Abstract: An agricultural device is displaceable between a transport position and a working position and includes a frame having a main beam extending in a longitudinal direction, which main beam defines a longitudinal axis, and two side arms extending on both sides of the main beam to support one or more tools, wherein the side arms are hingeably connected at an inner end to a slide connection which is slidable along the main beam. The side arms are displaceable between a transport position, in which they substantially extend along the main beam, under a first angle with the main beam, and a working position, in which the side arms extend from the main beam under a second angle, larger than the first angle. The side arms are displaceable between the transport position and the working position by sliding of the slide connection along the main beam at that location.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agricultural piston bale press. This press includes a pressing piston arranged in a bale chamber, an intake device to take in crop material, and a stuffing device, wherein the stuffing device includes a feed passage and a stuffing mechanism, the stuffing mechanism includes an arm supporting tines, wherein said arm is movable by a first driving device to at least move the tines in and out of the feed passage and wherein said arm is pivotably supported by a fulcrum, the fulcrum being displaceable to selectively move the arm along the stuffing trajectory or load trajectory. The stuffing device includes a second driving device to displace the fulcrum, and in that the second driving device is mechanically independent of the main driving mechanism.

Abstract: An agricultural device is couplable to a tractor vehicle with carrier arms. The agricultural device comprises a carrier frame with a set of wheels and a coupling device for coupling the agricultural implement to a tractor vehicle. The agricultural device further comprises a coupling frame having at least one coupling point for coupling of the coupling frame to both carrier arms of the tractor vehicle. The coupling frame is connected to the carrier frame so as to be rigid in rotation in the vertical plane, wherein at least one coupling point of the coupling frame is positioned on or above the center line of the carrier frame. Owing to the fact that the carrier arms extend horizontally or upwards, the carrier arms will not or will hardly get out of position as a result of the travelling of the vehicle.

Abstract: An argricultural machine for lateral displacement has a fastening device fastened to a pulling vehicle, a frame, an implement to be fastened to the frame, a hingeable drawbar, and an actuator provided between the frame and the drawbar. The actuator moves the frame between at least a transport position behind the fastening device and an operative position laterally of the fastening device. A telescopic drive shaft is situated between the fastening device and the implement, wherein a first end of the shaft is connected to the fastening device and a second end of the shaft is connected to the implement. The argricultural machine further has a steering device to direct the first shaft part of the telescopic drive shaft substantially to the second shaft end of the telescopic drive shaft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wrapping device for enveloping or packing in particular agricultural crop bales, including a wrapping floor for receiving and rotating the pressed crop bale and a guide frame for at least one wrapping material carrier for wrapping the bale on the wrapping floor with wrapping material in the form of webs, wherein the guide frame is height adjustable, in order to set the center of the wrapping material approximately at the location of the center of the crop bale to be wrapped. In order to be able to adapt wrapping devices having a guide frame to bales of different bale diameters, the guide frame should be pivotable about a horizontal axle which is situated parallel to the axis of rotation of the crop bale.

Abstract: An unmanned autonomous vehicle for substantially lateral displacement of feed lying on a ground, comprising two wheels separately drivable by separate drive units, a torque difference adjusting device for adjusting the torque difference between the wheels, a control unit for controlling the vehicle and moving it in a direction of travel by controlling at least one of the separate drive units, a feed displacing device for substantially lateral displacement of the feed, and an adjusting device which is arranged to adjust the height and/or the position of a lowest point of the feed displacing device. The adjusting device comprises a vehicle tilting device which is arranged in such a manner that the lowest point will be located at least substantially off the center line of the vehicle.

Abstract: A milking installation with a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of a dairy animal has milk lines extending between the teat cups and a milk de-aeration unit or milk glass. A de-aeration port is present at the top of the de-aeration unit and a de-aeration line connects the milk glass to a vacuum system. At the bottom of the milk glass a milk inlet line is provided which connects the milk glass to the milk pump. The milk pump includes a milk inlet, a pump housing, a milk outlet. The milk pump is a membrane pump which type of pump is known to be gentle to the milk and thus reduce occurrence of lypolysis of the milk when pumped through the milking installation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an unmanned self-propelled and self-steering device for removing manure present on a floor, including a manure slide with a sliding wall which, when viewed in the customary direction of travel of the device, forms a first contact surface for manure present on the floor, and comprising a drive device for the travelling over the floor, wherein the drive device comprises a rotatingly driven drive which is in driving engagement with the floor during operation and which is located in front of the sliding wall.

Abstract: A method of analyzing milk components having the steps of collecting a milk sample, ionizing the milk sample, and using an ion mobility spectrometer to detect predetermined components within the ionized milk sample, wherein the ion mobility spectrometer is positioned within a milking system from which the milk sample is taken.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for an unmanned vehicle for displacing manure includes navigating an unmanned vehicle, further including detecting an animal, determining whether a current course of the unmanned vehicle will lead to a collision with the animal. If this is the case, the method continues by: determining at least a first priority parameter from a set of priority parameters, wherein the first priority parameter is a standing condition of the detected animal, deciding, on the basis of the set of priority parameters, whether the course of the unmanned vehicle will be adjusted to avoid the animal, wherein the course will be maintained if the set of priority parameters meets a predetermined collision criterion, and the course will be adjusted to avoid the animal if the set of priority parameters does not meet the predetermined collision criterion, wherein the set of priority parameters only meets the collision criterion if at least the standing condition is that the animal is standing.

Abstract: A device for feeding animals, includes a frame with a feed holder for a feeding site for an animal. The frame is provided with a restricting device for restricting in at least two opposite lateral directions a dwelling space for an animal using the feeding site. The device is also provided with a distancing mechanism for keeping animals located outside the dwelling space at a distance from the restricting device.

Abstract: An agricultural system for wrapping bales includes a baling device to form a cylindrical bale in a baling chamber, and a wrapping device to wrap the bale in wrapping material. The wrapping device includes a wrapping table to support the bale during wrapping, as well as a wrapping mechanism, and a transfer device to transfer a bale ejected from the baling chamber to the wrapping table. The transfer device includes a pivotable support to support a bale. The pivotable support is at least pivotable between a receive position to receive a bale from the baling chamber, and a release position, wherein the bale is released on the wrapping table.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for connecting a teat cup to a teat, including a teat cup with an opening for receiving a teat, a robot arm for moving the teat cup, a teat cup positioning system with a 3D-sensor and a sensor device for measuring a control quantity, and for connecting the teat cup under the control of the 3D-camera and the control quantity. The sensor device includes at least two electrodes around the opening and a capacitive sensor configured to measure a quantity connected with the capacitance between the electrodes, in particular the capacitance between two electrodes. This system provides a reliable positioning with respect to a teat by, for example, maximization of the measured capacitance. The positioning system supports an optical 3D-sensor for the first, global positioning.

Abstract: Assembly comprising a passageway for livestock, the passageway being delimited by side delimitations, for passage of the livestock from a first space to a second space. The assembly comprises a gate system mounted in the passageway, the gate system comprising at least one self-closing gate leaf which is movable between a closed position and one or more open positions which include a pass position wherein passage to the second space is possible for an animal from the livestock, and wherein the gate leaf is moveable to an open position by pressure exerted by an animal from the livestock for passing through the passageway to the second space. The assembly also comprises a device for determining an ID of an animal from the livestock, and a device for blocking the gate leaf from moving to the pass position, wherein the blocking device can be activated to a blocking position in response to data from the ID determining device.

Abstract: An agricultural implement with a main frame and a movable subframe connected thereto has a fluid system which comprises an accumulator which provides a suspension effect to agricultural tools connected to the agricultural implement. This provides a simple, resilient hydraulic lifting system for an agricultural implement.

Abstract: A method of, and a device for controlling a shed lighting, and a shed provided therewith. To support daylight, lamps are switched on, but only in the case when the measured intensity is too low and, moreover, the time in which the daylight intensity could become sufficient is too short to achieve a desired period of time with a minimum light intensity. This saves energy and service life of lamps.

Abstract: Method of supplying feed to animals with the aid of a group of feed stations which are accessible to those animals, wherein the feed stations, following the identification of an animal, supply feed to that animal according to a feed program for that animal adjusted to that individual animal and taking into account data relating to earlier feed supplies to that animal, wherein data relating to a feed supply to an animal are made available to each feed station via data connections, and wherein, in the event of failure of the data connection for at least one of the feed stations, at least one of the feed stations is operated to switch over to a safety feed program to reduce the feed supply to an animal identified at that feed station.