Abstract: A method of milking an animal comprises determining the identity of the animal and discharging the milk obtained by milking the identified animal to a storage container. The identity of the animal is determined after connecting a teat cup to a teat of the animal or after confining the animal in a milking place and before discharging the milk to the storage container. An installation for milking an animal is provided with a determination device for determining the identity of the animal, a transport arrangement for transporting milk to a storage container for storing the milk and with a control unit for controlling the determination device and the transport arrangements. The control unit is programmed for additionally determining the identity of the animal after connecting a teat cup to a teat of the animal or after confining the animal in a milking place and before discharging the milk to the storage container.

Abstract: An assembly of a milking robot with a milking robot feeding place, such as a milking robot feed trough, and a device for gripping and displacing material, such as for example roughage and/or concentrate for animals. The device is provided with a gripper (2) for gripping, then displacing and subsequently supplying the material. The device comprises control means for displacing the gripper (2) to the milking robot and for controlling the gripper for supplying the material to the milking robot feeding place of the milking robot.

Abstract: An installation for supplying liquid feed to an animal, such as a calf. The installation comprises one or more feed loading places (1) and one or more feed unloading places (2-5), and one or more vehicles (9) that are autonomously displaceable, controlled by a microprocessor or the like, between one or more feed loading places and one or more feed unloading places, each vehicle comprising a drinking nozzle (10), such as a flexible teat.

Abstract: A cubicle construction for forming a partition of an animal place has a partition element extending in the longitudinal direction of an animal place and a coupling for fastening the partition element to a support. The coupling comprises a support portion for fastening to the support and a partition element portion for fastening to the partition element, the partition element being movable in height by rotation about an axis of rotation. The coupling comprises a closing element for making the partition element portion detachable from the support portion via a movement of the partition element portion perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A method of stimulating the teats of the udder of an animal comprises determining the dead milking time per udder or per quarter during a number of milkings and checking, on the basis of these historical data, whether a respective quarter has to be pre-stimulated and, if so, during what period of time. A pulsator controlled in three phases, makes it possible to adapt the suction-rest ratio of the pulsator at quarter level on the basis of the milk flow profile of the respective udder quarter.

Abstract: A device for milking animals includes a milking robot for automatically connecting at least two teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked. The milk yielded is collected in a milk container. In each milk line, between a respective teat cup and the milk container, there is provided an auxiliary reservoir for collecting milk obtained at the beginning of the milking process. The auxiliary reservoir has an outlet aperture with a closing device. Each auxiliary reservoir is disposed in a respective mounting block, the various mounting blocks being arranged side by side, and the device is provided with an arrangement for simultaneously operating the closing devices.

Abstract: A tine element which is installed on a rake wheel of an agricultural implement which displaces harvested products such as hay and cut grass, the tine element comprising a first and second tine with the outboard end of each tine being disposed so that it points normal to the direction of travel of the tine element around the axis of the rake wheel. Each of the tines has on its inboard end a coiled part and such coiled parts are joined by a common central part. In operation, one of the tines is disposed above the other tine with the lower tine being longer than the upper tine. The coiled parts comprise coil torsion springs and each part has different elasticity characteristics so that the resilient deflection of the lower tine is greater than the relative deflection of the upper tine and the flexibility of the each tine is optimized to obtain better adaptation to the ground and to provide a longer life span for the tine element.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, wherein the milking parlor contains a feeding apparatus for providing, in particular, concentrate. The apparatus has at least one hopper for storing the feed and at least one metering unit for metering the feed from the hopper into at least one conveyor channel. From the conveyor channel, the feed is received by a manger. The feeding apparatus comprises several embodiments of cleaning devices for preventing the conveyor channel from collecting undesired substances that may contaminate or clog the channel or cause both problems. The cleaning device may be an air blower which blows air through perforations in the wall of the conveyor channel towards the manger, the perforations being in the form of lamellae. Also an air blower may move air through a channel which debouches proximate the manger.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically feeding calves and other animals a substance comprising milk, mother's milk, foremilk, beestings, beestingslike milk, or colostrums or a combination thereof by conveying same from a first animal to a second animal via an automatic milking machine and a transport system. The transport system includes an analyzing device to determine the composition of the substance received from the first animal and a metering device for feeding the substance to the second animal. The transport system also has two storage areas for receiving samples of the substance and storing same in a cool, frozen or dried frozen state. A mixing mechanism is also provided for adding material such as water, medicants, vitamins, nutritive supplements, immunological stimulants, growth stimulants, hormones, and combinations thereof to the substance consumed by the second animal for the nutritive needs of the second animal.

Abstract: Mower-conditioner comprising a mower (1) suspended vertically displaceable on a main frame (10) and a conditioner (2) following the mower (1), adjustably linked to the main frame (10). In order to improve the functioning, particularly the ground adaptation of the mower-conditioner while lessening the construction effort, it is proposed according to the invention that the conditioner (2) be movably coupled via at least one coupling member (19) to the mower (1).

Abstract: A piston and cylinder arrangement for opening and closing entrance or exit doors or both in a milking compartment of a fully automated milking system. The piston and cylinder arrangement comprises an elongated cylinder having two pistons connected in tandem to an elongated piston rod. The cylinder is hermetically divided into two cylindrical portions each containing one of the pistons. The piston acts against a liquid in one portion and in the other portion the piston is actuated by pneumatic pressure. The piston rod is extended through the end of the cylinder and is connected to open and close an entrance door. The cylindrical portion containing the liquid has the liquid on both sides of the piston connected by a check-valve and a by-pass valve. To block movement of the pistons, the by-pass valve is retained in a closed position by pneumatic pressure from a supply of pressurized gas for actuating the piston in the pneumatic side of the cylinder.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining optimal cultivation of a parcel of land. A soil working machine with drivable working members, such as a rotary harrow, is provided with soil working members which rotate about approximately vertically orientated axes, and cooperates with a geographic positioning system such as DGPS, GPS, Lorean or a dead reckoning system to determine on a continual basis the actual position of the soil working machine on a parcel of land. Simultaneously, the condition or the composition or both of the underlying soil is determined and data of same is transmitted to a processing unit which maps the parcel of land into subareas wherein the states of the soil are the same. A control unit applies this mapping for controlling the soil working members during the soil working machine's operations so that each subarea of the same soil state is optimally cultivated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining the extent to which a milk line system is rinsed with a cleaning fluid, whereby in one or more places in the milk line system the electric conductivity of the cleaning fluid is determined. More in particular, according to the invention, the electric conductivity is measured in places which are difficult to reach for the cleaning fluid and/or in places in the milk line system which are more susceptible to contamination.

Abstract: In a fully automated milking system, a disinfecting device that disinfects those parts of the milking equipment and of a cleaning device which contact the teats and also usually the udder of an animal to be milked. The disinfecting device comprises an ultraviolet light source wherein the wavelength of the ultraviolet rays are between 100 and 280 nanometers. The light source may be movable within a teat cup or directly connected to the teat cup so that the radiation penetrated the teat cup's liner which is translucent and destroys harmful bacteria on the teat cup parts that contact the teat of an animal being milked as well as contacting portions of the animal's udder.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning components of automated milking apparatus which includes milking machines which are automatically connected and disconnected to the animals being milked. A rinsing liquid supply line supplies water through a protecting device and a heat exchanger to a junction which has a line leading to a rinsing liquid reservoir which includes a heating element to provide heat cleaning if desired, a line connected to a metering device to introduce an additive such as an alkali or acid, a branch line for rinsing components of the automatic milking machine such as teat cups and a branch line leading through non-return devices to a rinsing liquid buffer reservoir which can be pressurized by air pressure and used for cleansing components such as the teat cups and sensor on a robot arm and the device for cleaning the udders and teats of the animals being milked.

Abstract: An implement for displacing crop lying on the ground comprising at least one rake member which is driven so as to be rotatable about an upwardly orientated axis and which is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending arms, each of which pivots in upward direction about a pivot axis. Each arm has a pair of outwardly extending tines connected pivotably thereto. The pivotal connections of the arms to the rake wheels and the tines to the arms of each assemble of arms and tines is such that the center of gravity, when the implement is operating, is so disposed that the resultant of the gravitational and centrifugal forces urge the arms and the tines towards the underlying ground. The rake wheels can be folded upwardly about their pivot axes into a transport position wherein the arms are received in a locking device which comprises a resilient member having a recess for receiving each arm. The resilient member may comprise a spring or be composed of an elastic material such as plastic or rubber.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, comprising automatic milking machine and a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked. The apparatus is further provided an enclosure having a control room which is accessible to and contains at least part of the milking machine and milking robot. The apparatus further comprises a device for cleaning or disinfecting, or both, an operator who enters the control room. This is accomplished automatically by providing adjacent to, or as part of, the door that enters the control room, a cleaning and disinfecting device which at least contacts the footwear of an operator entering the control room. The door may be turnable about a centrally disposed vertical axis which rotates to provide an entrance and exit from the control room, the bottom of the rotatable door comprising a basin which contains cleaning or disinfectant fluid or both.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cleaning and/or disinfecting a teat of an animal immediately prior to or subsequent to the milking operation. The device comprises a teat receiving cup having a plurality of spray nozzles disposed on its upper side which are connected to receive cleansing fluid or disinfectant or both under pressure and capacity control to spray the animal's teats. The spray nozzles and supply lines thereto are affixed to the teat receiving cup so that the nozzles are pointed obliquely upwardly towards the center line of the teat receiving cup. The supply lines, including a distribution member for dividing fluid being conducted to the spray nozzles, is connected to the teat receiving cup by means of an elastic stocking or a shrink stocking.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cultivator mounted to roll about a horizontal axis transverse to the direction of travel of the machine in combination with a hopper. The cultivator and hopper are mounted on a frame which is adapted to be connected to a three-point hitch of a tractor. The cultivator is connected to the frame under and behind the hopper and by a pivotal shaft which interconnects bearings confined fore and aft by U-profiles. The cutivator is thus tiltable within limits relative to the frame and hopper and is also turnable within limits so that the cultivator turns with the tractor. It also provides support for the hopper. A centrifugal air pump is mounted on the hopper which, via a pair of venturi-type devices, draw in granular material, such as seed, from the hopper for distributing same on the soil, the hopper having a pair of metering devices which meter granular material received by the venturi-devices.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically milking animals, is provided with a milking robot which includes a robot arm that carries teat cups, each teat cup being carried in its own housing in a supporting element in the robot arm. When the teat cups are in an inoperative position, the openings on their upper sides are shielded by the supporting element. Each robot arm portion comprises a plurality of housings, one for each teat cup. Piston and cylinder members are disposed in each housing to move the teat cups from their shielded inoperative position to an open operative position under the teats of the animal to be milked and then upwardly to connect the teat cups to the teats of the animal to be milked. Thereafter the supporting element is lowered and the teat cups which remain on the teats are connected thereto only by flexible members.