Abstract: A system for discharging milk to a storage tank is provided with an intermediate reservoir for temporarily storing the milk and/or a cooled tank for collecting milk unsuitable for human consumption.

Abstract: A device for the dissemination of a spreadable material, such as fertilizer in powder or granule form, which device consists substantially of a supported frame with storage holder 7 for the material for spreading, which holder 7 is provided with an outlet opening and a spreader pipe 10 driven for reciprocal swinging connected thereto, said spreader pipe 10 has near its free outflow opening means influencing the spread pattern, wherein a partition 12 is arranged extending in the central longitudinal plane of the pipe 10 and connecting to the bottom wall thereof and which protrudes freely from the pipe over a determined length, and to arrange above the transverse partition an extra rebound surface 31 which extends transversely of the lengthwise direction of the pipe behind the opening thereof, so being able to influence the spreading pattern such that the delivery onto the field is as even as possible.

Abstract: A pair of horizontally spaced support surfaces support the rear hooves of an animal. A forwardly inclined surface extends upwardly from each support surface toward the front end of the device, and a sidewardly inclined surface extends upwardly from each of the support surfaces toward the center of the device. The sidewardly extending surfaces intersect one another along a line extending parallel with the sides. A plurality of horizontally spaced bars are disposed rearwardly of and at an elevation above the support surfaces. The rearmost bar has a central portion disposed at a higher elevation than the adjacent bar.

Abstract: A milking cup is moved into position surrounding a cow's teat by power operated members controlled by an electrical circuit including a pair of spaced ultrasonic detectors for locating the teat. Each detector includes a transmitter and a receiver. The ultrasonic fields produced by the transmitters intersect one another at a position spaced from the transmitters. Conical reflecting surfaces are disposed adjacent the transmitters and receivers to reflect ultrasonic waves to obtain a detection field of predetermined dimensions and to determine the area within which the ultrasonic waves are reflected back to the receivers. The generatrix of the conical reflecting surfaces may be slightly concave or convex.

Abstract: This method of cleaning a teat of a female animal makes use of a cup provided with an opening for flushing washing and/or rinsing agent along the teat. Preferably, this method is included in automatic milking equipment.

Abstract: A press for agricultural crop mainly comprising a frame (1), a baling chamber (4) with an inlet opening carried by said frame, a pressing member (5) driven so as to reciprocate in the baling chamber (4), said baling chamber (4) being provided with means for producing a counter-pressure in order to form a bale of compressed agricultural crop, wherein the means for producing the counter-pressure comprise an outlet part (15) prolonging the baling chamber (4) and narrowing in the pressing direction and a removable flap member (31) partly or wholly closing the passage near the transition area between baling chamber (4) and outlet part (15), in order to produce a counter-pressure at the start so that even the first or second bale has sufficient density.

Abstract: An agricultural implement is provided with trailing swing arms, each of which has a trailing wheel. Each swing arm is provided with a lifting device in the form of a piston operating in a cylinder. This lifting device establishes the height at which the implement is supported relative to the ground. Each swing arm is also provided with a gas spring in the form of an upper piston operating in a cylinder to control the pressure of the implement against the ground surface despite undulations in the surface upon which the wheels engage. The lifting devices and the gas springs operate in conjunction with each other to establish substantially uniform pressure of the implement against the ground over the transverse width of the implement. A control device controls the pressures prevailing in the gas springs, which pressures may be different.

Abstract: A movable accommodation in which animals can be automatically milked includes a shelter, bar fences mounted in the shelter to define two milking locations in which animals to be milked can be individually contained, milking racks with teat cups respectively located adjacent the two milking locations, and a robot which is movable back and forth along guide beams that extend between the two milking locations and which operates to position the respective milking racks in operative position relative to the teats of an animal in the adjacent milking location.

Abstract: A device for overhead dusting of a field with fertilizer or particulate material includes an overhead suction impeller having a central annulus receiving a vertical pipe leading from a flow-controlled hoppr discharge. A cover on the pipe confines the discharge of air and entrained material to an angular section of the annulus and a baffle is adjustable around the pipe to increase and decrease the angular section.

Abstract: A system for the control of a member for following a moving object, especially a small object being part of larger entity, comprising an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver is characterized in that each sensor unit is fixed to the means of movement of a follower member. The ultrasonic sensor units are inexpensive and relatively insensitive to the dirt prevalent in an industrial or an agricultural environment. Since the sensor units can be brought relatively close to the object to be followed, the influence of the distracting larger entity is reduced and an accurate control system is obtained using simple reflection-sensing of the object. The control system can be applied in a milking apparatus. Furthermore the invention provides a method for the automatic milking of an animal.

Abstract: The coupling device 1 serves to connect a reservoir 3 to a machine, for instance for use in agriculture in the spraying of herbicides. In order to prevent personnel coming into contact with the concentrated herbicidal substance during changing of the reservoir the line 8, which draws the substance out of the reservoir 3, can be retracted inside the coupling element 4 and the flexible casing 13 connecting thereto. Prior to changing of reservoir 3 the line 8 is entirely retracted into the coupling piece 4 and casing 13, thereby sealing with a suction inlet 9 against the inner bore of coupling piece 4. Dripping liquid therefore remains contained by the coupling piece 4 and the casing 13.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for mowing agricultural crops, particularly grass, provided with an elongate mower bar pulled in transverse direction over the field and having a number of dish-like carriers having at least two upstanding pins, adapted to be attached with respect to the carrier, around each pin a cutter blade is releasably mounted for pivoting. The device according to the invention is distinguished in that the dish-like carrier is provided with a protruding arm for each pin, said arm having a front face, sloping up and backwards, with respect to the direction of rotation, said pin being arranged underneath and behind said front face.

Abstract: A swash plate pump includes a housing and cylinders arranged in a circular pattern around the drive shaft. Piston rods are pivotally connected at one end to the swash plate and mechanism surrounding the drive shaft and axially slidable along it controls the angle of the swash plate. The opposite end of each piston rods is fixed to a piston. In one embodiment, each piston rod is locally reduced in cross-sectional area adjacent its piston to compensate for disparity in arcuate motions of the opposite ends of the piston rod and in another embodiment, the cylinders are mounted in ball joints in the housing to compensate the disparity. One end of the housing may be formed as a manifold and double seals are provided between the compression side and the drive side of the pump.

Abstract: A cross-member is fitted with roller-tracks extending obliquely outwardly or inwardly in a downward direction, a distributing appliance being mounted upon the roller-tracks, either directly by way of rollers or indirectly by way of an intermediate beam having at its ends, roller-tracks extending obliquely outwardly or inwardly in a downward direction, having additional rollers. Rollers may be mounted, instead of upon the distributing appliance, upon the cross-member or, if necessary, upon the intermediate beam, the roller-tracks being arranged accordingly upon the top of the distributing appliance. Furthermore, sliding ways and sliding shoes may be provided instead of the roller-tracks and rollers.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the spraying onto a field of a liquid such as a herbicide solution by means of a spraying apparatus, propellable over the field, with a series of spraying members (3) fed by a common liquid pressure pump (6) wherein a carrier fluid is supplied to the spraying members (3) by means of the pump and the active substance in the stream of carrier fluid is added by means of a second regulatable pump (12), wherein the volume of carrier fluid provided to the spraying means (3) is controlled dependantly on the quantity of active substance by a regulating system (5) controlling one of the two fluid flows, in order to keep the concentration of active substance in the carrier fluid constant irrespective of the travel velocity, ensuring that although the quantity of the active substance is regulated dependantly on the travel velocity, the concentration is independant thereof, resulting in a homogeneous spreading of the active substance over the full width of the strip of land to be sprayed.

Abstract: In an apparatus for farming vegetation lying on the ground, comprising a central frame, two first carrying arms that are pivotably mounted at the opposite sides of the frame and two second carrying arms that are pivotably mounted at the ends of the first carrying arms. Each second carrying arm is mechanically connected with the frame in such a way that pivoting the first carrying arm automatically leads to pivoting the second carrying arms. For this purpose a coupling bar can be provided between the central frame and each second carrying arm.

Abstract: A so-called round baler has baling and wrapping chambers (3, 4), defined in part by flexible endless belts (1, 2). A bale formed in the chamber (3) may be transferred to the chamber (4) after separating the juxtaposed portions (12, 22) of working runs of the belt (FIG. 5).

Abstract: A mowing device comprises a frame movable across a field and a cutter bar carried by said frame and having a plurality of cutting members rotatably driven about standing shafts through a transmission housed in said bar, said frame being adapted to accommodate crop crushing means at a higher level than the cutter bar, wherein a common main drive rotates one of the outermost cutting members and, if necessary, the crushing means through an intermediate drive arranged in a rotating drum on top of said outermost cutting member.In order to limit the disadvantage of crop winding around the drum at low numbers of revolution and to minimize the imbalance of fast rotating cutting members the drum of the mowing device is constructed in the form of two coaxial, aligned drum parts, between which a gap-shaped space is left free.

Abstract: A driven transverse spreader forcibly spreads a windrow to be uniformly distributed in front of a crop pick-up device. Flexible aprons at the sides of the device prevent transverse spreading beyond the grasp of the pick-up device.

Abstract: A roll baling device in where the hay is picked up and formed by a group of guiding and stretching members for endless belt-like elements arranged between and supported by two relatively spaced walls. A further group of cylindrical support elements are arranged in a substantially complete circle within the baling chamber and cooperate with the belts to limit the diameter of the round bale in accord with the diameter of the circle.