GB2308965A

GB2308965A - Detachable teat collar

Info

Publication number: GB2308965A
Application number: GB9600602A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-01-12
Filing date: 1996-01-12
Publication date: 1997-07-16
Also published as: GB9600602D0

Abstract

A detachable teat collar 22 is provided with a flange 28 for coupling to the mouth portion 6 of a teat cup. In use the massaging action of the liner (4 Fig 1(a)) on a teat 16 contained therein is effected on the lower portion 20 of the teat 16 thereby stimulating "let down" and thus the secretion of milk 18.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MILKING OF COWS This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for the milking of cows.

It is generally well known using modern milking equipment to milk a herd of cows more or less at the same time. Some cows though "milk" better than others using such equipment and dairymen employ various different techniques on cows to improve their milking. If a cow is not milked out properly and fully then there is a risk of bacterial infection such as mastitis in the teat and/or cell damage to the test and the udder. In such circumstances the somatic cell count of the milk increases and thus the quality of the milk produced may fall below set standards. Good quality milk will generally have a somatic cell count of less than 200 ppm (parts per million).

Conventional milking apparatus such as that manufactured by the Alfa-Laval Company use suction teat-cups. The principle of teat-cup action is shown in Figs. la and ib and as will be seen the milking action is generally from the top of the teat at the udder down along teat.

Some cows though milk more easily and readily when milked from the bottom portion of their teats rather than the top portion.

This may be due to damage of the teat and one known method employed by dairymen to milk-out cows with such problems is to hang weights on the teat-cup to draw it further down the teat.

This method can cause discomfort to the cow and may moreover cause further damage to the teat and an increased risk of mastitis or other infection.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimise one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.

The present invention provides an improved milking apparatus teat-cup for use in milking cows or the like having, for example, a damaged teat which teat-cup comprises a tubular body portion defining an elongate chamber containing therein a flexible liner, said liner having a mouth portion connected to an open end of said elongate chamber; said mouth portion being formed and arranged for receiving a said teat therethrough into said liner; and a detachable teat collar provided with, at a first end, coupling means formed and arranged for detachable engagement with said mouth portion of said liner and having, at the other end, spaced apart therefrom an udder engaging face; said coupling means being formed and arranged for holding a teat aperture through said teat collar in register with said mouth portion of said liner whereby in use of said milking apparatus teat cup the massaging action of the liner on a teat contained therein is effected on the lower portion of a said teat thereby stimulating "let down" and thus the secretion of milk.

Thus with a milking apparatus teat-cup according to the invention cows or the like having a damaged teat may be fully and completely "milked out" without any discomfort to the animal and in a simple and economic manner.

Preferably said coupling means on said teat collar is formed and arranged for sealing detachable engagement with said mouth portion of said liner so that the suction action applied to said liner by a milking apparatus having the teat-cup according to the invention is available at the udder engaging face end of the teat aperture for drawing a said teat into and through said teat collar and into said liner. Desirably said teat collar has a flexible resilient flange depending from around said first end thereof for a push-fit sealing engagement with said mouth portion of said liner. Most desirably said flexible resilient flange on said teat collar provides said coupling means for engaging with said mouth portion of said liner.

The tubular body and said flexible liner are of generally known type and construction such as those available from the Alfa Laval Company.

Preferably said teat collar is provided with means to distinguish it from the mouth portion of said liner as it will be appreciated that not every teat on every cow requires the improved milking apparatus teat-cup of the invention. Thus to assist a dairyman distinguish between the improved teat cup of the invention and conventional teat cups, said detachable teat collars may be, for example, of a different colour to the mouth portion of a liner or provided with other indicating means such as for example ribs or other surface discontinuities therearound to aid tactile differentiation with standard teat cups.

The core diameter of said liner will vary according to the type of cow or animal to be milked. For example Jersey cattle require a small core diameter (20mm) liner while Friesian cattle would require a large diameter (25mm). Preferably the diameter of said teat collar aperture is substantially the same as the core diameter of the liner to which it is to be engaged with.

The height of the teat collar, i.e. the distance between the udder engaging face and the face which engages with the mouth portion of the liner will vary on the type of cow or animal to be milked, the extent or type of damage to the teat and the length of the teat. It has been found though that for use on cattle having a long teat, a collar height of for example 25mm, preferably 12 to 40mm provides good milking while for use on cattle having a short teat a height of 12 to 25mm, is preferable.

Preferably said udder engaging face of said teat collar is made from material similar to the mouth portion of the liner e.g.

a natural or synthetic rubber, so as to provide a soft and more or less comfortable engagement surface for the cows udder.

Desirably though the flexible resilient flange is of a somewhat stiffer material and/or includes stiffening means so as to help provide a more positive engagement of said teat collar around the mouth portion of said liner and to prevent said flange folding over on itself as it is applied around said mouth portion of said liner.

Thus in another respect the present invention provides a teat collar for use with teat cups which collar comprises an udder engaging face of a more or less soft resilient material; a coupling means in the form of a flange depending downwardly from around a face parallel to and spaced apart from said udder engaging face; said flange being of a stiffer material than said udder engaging face and being formed and arranged for push-fit engagement around a teat cup liner mouth portion.

Various other coupling means may be employed such as for example providing a threaded portion around said mouth portion of said liner for co-operating with a corresponding threaded portion on the inside surface of a flange depending from said teat collar.

In yet another respect the present invention provides a method of milking a cow or the like with for example a damaged teat which method comprises the steps of:providing a milking apparatus having a plurality of teat-cups; applying a detachable teat collar provided with, at a first end, coupling means formed and arranged for detachable engagement with the mouth portion of a liner of one of said teat-cups; bringing said teat-collar and said teat-cup into contact with the teat of a said cow so the suction provided in the teat-cup by the milking apparatus sucks the teat into the teat collar and the teat-cup; and milking the cow in a generally known manner.

Further preferred features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. la and lb are sections through a conventional teat cup; and Fig. 2 is a section through an improved teat-cup according to the invention.

As shown in Figs. la and b, a conventional teat-cup, generally indicated by reference number 1, comprises a metal chamber 2, a rubber liner 4 having a mouth portion 6 at one end and a milk collection tube 8 at the other end. The mouth portion 6 of the liner 4 is connected around an open end 10 of the metal chamber 2. A rubber pulse tube 12 is connected to a pipe 14 cooperating with the inside space 15 of the chamber 2.

The milk collection tube 8 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) which produces a continuous suction. A pulsator (not shown) connected to the rubber pulse tube 12 alternately connects the space 15 between the liner 4 and the chamber 2 first to atmosphere and then with the suction. When the space 15 between the liner 4 and the chamber 2 is connected to atmosphere the liner 4 collapses due to the suction, squeezing a teat 16 (see Fig. l(b)). When the space 15 between the liner 4 and chamber 2 is connected to the vacuum the liner "releases" and the milk 18 in the teat 16 is released and withdrawn.

Fig. 2 shows a section through an improved teat-cup according to the invention which works in the same manner as that described above except that the squeezing action of the liner 4 on the teat 16 is applied only to the lower end portion 20 of the teat 16.

The improved teat-cup, generally indicated by like reference numbers to those used to describe the teat-cup in Figs. la and b, is substantially the same as a conventional teat cup 1 except that there is provided a teat-collar 22 which is releasably connected around the mouth portion of the liner 4.

In more detail the teat-collar 22 has an upper udder 23 engaging face 24, a lower inner mouth portion engaging face 26 and a downwardly depending resilient flexible flange 28 extending around the teat-collar 22 for sealing engagement with the liner 4.

As will be seen from Fig. 2 the squeezing action of the liner 4 acts on the lower portion 20 of the teat 16 only and thereby the massaging action of the "squeeze" and "release" of the liner stimulates the "let down" of milk 18 to be collected through the milk collection tube 8.

Claims

1. An improved milking apparatus teat-cup for use in milking cows or the like having, for example, a damaged teat which teat-cup comprises a tubular body portion defining an elongate chamber containing therein a flexible liner; said liner having a mouth portion connected to an open end of said elongate chamber; said mouth portion being formed and arranged for receiving a said teat therethrough into said liner; and a detachable teat collar provided with, at a first end, coupling means formed and arranged for detachable engagement with said mouth portion of said liner and having, at the other end, spaced apart therefrom an udder engaging face; said coupling means being formed and arranged for holding a teat aperture through said teat collar in register with said mouth portion of said liner whereby in use of said milking apparatus teat cup the massaging action of the liner on a teat contained therein is effected on the lower portion of a said teat thereby stimulating "let down" and thus the secretion of milk.

2. A teat cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupling means on said teat collar is formed and arranged for sealing detachable engagement with said mouth portion of said liner so that the suction action applied to said liner by a milking apparatus having the teat-cup according to claim 1 is available at the udder engaging face end of the teat aperture for drawing a said teat into and through said teat collar and into said liner.

3. A teat-cup as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said teat collar has a flexible resilient flange depending from around said first end thereof for a push-fit sealing engagement with said mouth portion of said liner.

4. A teat-cup as claimed in claim 3 wherein said flexible resilient flange on said teat collar provides said coupling means for engaging with said mouth portion of said liner.

5. A teat cup as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said teat collar is provided with indicating means to distinguish it from the mouth portion of said liner.

6. A teat-cup as claimed in claim 5 wherein said indicating means is in the form of surface discontinuities around said mouth portion.

7. A teat-cup as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said teat collar has a height in the range of from 12 to 40 mm.

8. A teat collar for use with teat cups which collar comprises an udder engaging face of a more or less soft resilient material; a coupling means in the form of a flange depending downwardly from around a face parallel to and spaced apart from said udder engaging face; said flange being of a stiffer material than said udder engaging face and being formed and arranged for push-fit engagement around a teat-cup liner mouth portion.

9. A method of milking a cow or the like with for example a damaged teat which method comprises the steps of:providing a milking apparatus having a plurality of teatcups; applying a detachable teat collar provided with, at a first end, coupling means formed and arranged for detachable engagement with the mouth portion of a liner of one of said teat-cups; bringing said teat-collar and said teat-cup into contact with the teat of a said cow so the suction provided in the teat-cup by the milking apparatus sucks the teat into the teat collar and the teat-cup; and milking the cow in a generally known manner.

10. An improved milking apparatus teat-cup substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Fig. 2.

11. A teat collar for use with a teat-cup substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Fig. 2.