Abstract: A tractor mounted tiller/cultivator system that includes right and left swing arms pivotally attached to tractor chassis, right and left cutting head assemblies mounted on the swing arms, each including a right disc motor driving a rotary disc mounted on a distal portion of the swing arm and operatively coupled to the motor. Ground-engaging cultivation wheels surround the rotary disc, and an annular guard prevents unwanted contact of the wheels with vines or trunks of vines and trees. A drive mechanism lowers and raises the swing arms to put the cultivation wheels into engagement and disengagement with ground and to rotate said swing arms about their longitudinal axes. User controls operatively connected to the swing arms, cutting head assemblies, and drive mechanisms enable a user to finely tune the movement of the cutting heads into and out from rows of trees or vines.

Abstract: A tractor mounted tiller/cultivator system that includes right and left swing arms pivotally attached to tractor chassis, right and left cutting head assemblies mounted on the swing arms, each including a right disc motor driving a rotary disc mounted on a distal portion of the swing arm and operatively coupled to the motor. Ground-engaging cultivation wheels surround the rotary disc, and an annular guard prevents unwanted contact of the wheels with vines or trunks of vines and trees. A drive mechanism lowers and raises the swing arms to put the cultivation wheels into engagement and disengagement with ground and to rotate said swing arms about their longitudinal axes. User controls operatively connected to the swing arms, cutting head assemblies, and drive mechanisms enable a user to finely tune the movement of the cutting heads into and out from rows of trees or vines.

Abstract: A netting deployment and recovery system for covering vines and row crops has a collecting and dispensing cart that travels aside the row to be covered while netting is unrolled from a spool and guided overhead to a sweep tube mounted on a boom. In deploying the netting, a sweep tube directs the netting from the spool up over the row such that it spreads outward and lays over the row as the cart moves forward. In removing the netting the sweep tube gathers the relatively open netting at the upper end and conveys it in a compressed form back to the take up reels. The sweep tube is mounted to pivot about the boom in response to excess tension when the netting is deployed or removed. Such pivoting of the sweep tube engages an actuator to modulate the rotation of the take up reel. The orientation of the sweep tube is reversed for deployment and retrieval of the netting. In retrieving the netting the tension of the netting is reduced via the take up spool to avoid breakage.

Abstract: A teat cup assembly for evenly distributing its weight to the udder of dairy animal despite variations and changes in teat angularity and elevation. The teat cup assembly has four teat cups, two on each side. The two teat cups on each side communicate to a side manifold; preferably a rounded and separately enclosed manifold having an outlet and two inlets, one for each teat cup. The two inlets are canted fore and rear for leading teat cup milk receiving lines to the bottom of the teat cups. The two enclosed manifolds have two degrees of motion with respect to one another. In a first degree of motion, the enclosed manifolds hinge towards and away from one another preferably at a hinge extending between the bottom rear of the manifold. This first degree of motion is restricted in opening by a keeper to enable convenient handling of the teat cup assembly as a unit. In a second degree of motion, the two manifolds relatively rotate with respect to one another.

Abstract: In a milking barn having milking stalls disposed at an angle to the cow entry-exit path, an improved stall configuration is disclosed having parallel entry and exit paths for simultaneous entry and exit by individual cows. Each angularly disposed milking pen includes an overlying loading pen. The path between the loading pen and the milking pen spans across both the entrance and exit paths. The entrance path passes immediately adjacent the loading pen; a cow passing along the entrance path is diverted into and received into the loading pin by an open loading gate and confined by that same gate to the loading pen upon entrance. The exit path passes immediately adjacent the milking pens; a cow exiting from the milking pens along the exit path is permitted to pass to the exit path by an open milking pen gate. The entrance and exit paths in running parallel one to another are divided by overlapping gate matrices.

Abstract: A two section mechanical fuse is disclosed. A first spring biased section fabricated from a wire is bent to a triangular configuration. This triangularly bent wire has two overlapping base portions held in side-by-side juxtaposition by the spring force of the wire. A bar having a radially extending tongue is captured within the triangular bent wire section. The tongue is captured between and protrudes outwardly from the side-by-side overlapping base members drawing the attached bar into contact with these side-by-side members. Under normal tensive strain the tongue and bar form the fused link in any tensive member to which the device is inserted, for example the teat cup assembly to a retractor in a dairy farm. Where force exceeding the fused limit is encountered, the tongue draws the bar between the two triangular base pieces. Forced opening of the two side-by-side members occurs, the fuse parts, and breakage elsewhere is averted.

Abstract: A backwash valve for connection between teat cup assembly and milk manifold is illustrated. The valve includes a milk inlet, a central valve chamber and a milk outlet. The milk inlet communicates to the teat cup assembly. The milk outlet communicates to the milk receiving manifold, which manifold is typically under a vacuum. A valve head reciprocates through the central chamber into and out of sealing contact with the milk outlet. The valve head and valve seat reciprocate out of the central valve chamber to an isolation chamber during backwash. Any leak between valve head and valve seal sees the vacuum. By reciprocation of the valve seat to the isolation chamber, vacuum communicated to the milk outlet does not expose contaminates present in the backwash solution to leakage through the seal. Backwash fluid is introduced through a chamber communicated to the valve head and passes out into the central valve chamber.

Abstract: An improved milking station is disclosed including an improved sensor for indicating premature teat cup disengagement, an improved shut-off valve mechanism, and a teat cup retraction assembly. In the outflow line of milk from the teat cup assembly, a plug with a magnet therein is gravitationally biased between the limit of travel bars. Assuming normal milk exhaustion from a cow's udder, the magnet falls to a lower position for a predetermined period of time (in the order of 4-6 seconds) and actuates the shut-off valve and retracts the teat cup assembly. When premature disengagement of the teat cup assembly occurs (as by the cow kicking the assembly loose), and the teat cup becomes disengaged, vacuum pulls the plug with the magnet in the outflow conduit to the full-up position. In the full-up position, retraction occurs with a blinking light indicating that disengagement has occurred without necessarily fully draining the cow's bag.

Abstract: An improved milking station is disclosed including an improved sensor for indicating premature teat cup disengagement, an improved shut-off valve mechanism, and a teat cup retraction assembly. In the outflow line of milk from the teat cup assembly, a plug with a magnet therein is gravitationally biased between the limit of travel bars. Assuming normal milk exhaustion from a cow's udder, the magnet falls to a lower position for a predetermined period of time (in the order of 4-6 seconds) and actuates the shut-off valve and retracts the teat cup assembly. When premature disengagement of the teat cup assembly occurs (as by the cow kicking the assembly loose), and the teat cup becomes disengaged, vacuum pulls the plug with the magnet in the outflow conduit to the full-up position. In the full-up position, retraction occurs with a blinking light indicating that disengagement has occurred without necessarily fully draining the cow's bag.

Abstract: A metering device for use in connection with an automatic milking machine is disclosed. The metering device includes a bottom metering drain and conventional overflow. Dependent upon milk level, a float is provided which moves between an upper machine "on" position during full milk flow and a lower machine "off" position when the milk flow ceases. The movement of the float activates a magnetic reed switch. An improvement is made to the bottom metering drain in which a first metering disc having a metering aperture allowing milk flow through the aperture overlies a cylindrical indentation in the bottom wall of the chamber. A second disc overlies the first disc. The lower surface of the second disc has a peripheral annular ridge which extends downwardly below the lowest point on the lower surface. The ridge is notched at several locations so that a plurality of orifices result when the ridge confronts the aperture plate.

Abstract: An automated milking assembly is disclosed for moving a claw and teat cup assembly under a cow for milking and for automated retraction of the claw and teat cup assembly upon completion of milking. A vertical arm is constructed for articulation and vertical reciprocation. The arm is hinged at its upper end about a horizontal axis disposed transverse of the cow and carries at its lower end the milking claw and teat cups. When the cow is in position to be milked, the vertical arm reciprocates downwardly and articulates to an arcuate disposition wherein the claw and teat cup assembly is supported under the center of the cow adjacent the bag. Manual plugging the teat cups occurs and milking is commenced. When the cow is through being milked, the vertical arm reciprocates upwardly and articulates to a vertical disposition wherein the claw and teat cups are supported to the side of the cow out of the walking path of the cow.

Abstract: An automated milking assembly is disclosed for moving a claw and teat cup assembly under a cow for milking and for automated retraction of the claw and teat cup assembly upon completion of milking. A vertical arm is constructed for articulation and vertical reciprocation. The arm is hinged at its upper end about a horizontal axis disposed transverse of the cow and carries at its lower end the milking claw and teat cups. When the cow is in position to be milked, the vertical arm reciprocates downwardly and articulates to an arcuate disposition wherein the claw and teat cup assembly is supported under the center of the cow adjacent the bag. Manual plugging of the teat cups occurs and milking is commenced. When the cow is through being milked, the vertical arm reciprocates upwardly and articulates to a vertical disposition wherein the claw and teat cups are supported to the side of the cow out of the walking path of the cow.