GB1244830A - Apparatus for milking a cow - Google Patents

Abstract

1,244,830. Automatic milking barn. A. J. FLOCCHINI. 12 Aug., 1970, No. 38899/70. Heading AIM. In an automatic milking barn apparatus consisting of a number of milking stalls 14-20 and an equal number of holding stalls 24-30 each aligned with a milking stall, cows are fed and prepared for milking in the holding stalls and are automatically forced backwards by push gates 74-80 into the corresponding milking stall when it is vacated. Entrance gate 12, exit gate 52, and stall gates 34-40 and 44-50 are operated automatically in a sequence that enables the cows to move as follows: A cow enters the first holding stall 24 via passage 122 and as it approaches the feed receptacle 72 it operates the feeler switch 62 which starts sprays 64 to wash down the cows rear and closes the stall gate 44. The other holding stalls 26-30 are filled similarly in turn and when the cows have been prepared for milking the first cow is pushed backwards into the milking stall 14 by the push gate 74 which carries feed receptacle 72. This gate stops short and the cow is pushed completely into the stall by the stall gate 34 which carries another feed receptacle 116. When the cow's rump activates the feeler switch 102 the stall gate stops closing and thus different sized cows can be accommodated. The other milking stalls 16-20 are similarly filled in turn and when the holding stalls have been emptied more cows are directed into them. When a cow has been milked it is released along passage 122 and exits through gate 52. The cow from the corresponding holding stall is then pushed into the vacated milking stall.