GB2182534A - Improvements in or relating to automatic milking apparatus and methods - Google Patents

Description

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f 1 40 1 GB 2 182 534 A 1 SPECIFICATION

Improvementsin or relating to automatic milking apparatus and methods Descrfption of the Invention This invention relates to. automatic milking apparatus and methods.

The object of the invention isto provide a method of automatic milking whereby the milking process can be monitored by electrical. means throughout the milking process and to provide apparatus suitable for this purpose. Background of the Invention

In any milking herd,the detection of mastitis atan earlystage, in any beast, is of the utmost importance.

It hasformanyyears been knownthatthe electrical conductivity of the milktaken from a cowgivesan indication of the presence of mastitis, in thatthe electrical conductivity increases with increasing ex tent of infection. Electrical conductivity measuring cells for milking apparatus have been proposed, yet none is in common use at the presenttime. The usual method of detecting mastitis is bythe detection of milk clots in milk passing through the milk line of individual cows being milked.

Commonly-used automatic milking apparatus uses a claw-piece having connections, byfourshoort-milk tubes, to the fourteat cups, for milking thefour quarters of an individual cow. Connections to the claw-piece are providedfrom a pulsating vaccuum source and a connection fromthe claw-piece is providedtothe milkflow line. Acontinuous air-bleed is provided intothe milk line onthe upstream side of the claw-piece.

Recent study of the operation of such milking 95 apparatus has disclosed that, in operation, milk f rom any one short-milktube passes into the otherthree, so thatthe milk in any short-milktube at any given time is not solely drawn from one quarter.

Mastitis, when it appears in a beast, normally 100 appears first in one quarter, from which it may spread to the other quarters of the same beast and to other beasts of the herd. Consequently, early detection of mastitis means detection of mastitis in a single quarter. Yet, in present-day milking apparatus, there is 105 no point in the system where solely milk from one quarter maybe monitored.

This is believed, by the present inventor, to be one reason why monitoring by electrical conductivity has not been reliable norfound widespread use.

Afurther reason for unreliability of the method is the presence of air in the milk stream due to the air-bleed upstream of the claw-piece.

A second monitoring value of concern is the temperature of milk drawn from a cow, since this may 115 give indication of sicknessof a beast. However, again such measurement is rendered unreliable in presentday milking apparatus dueJor example, to the introduction of cold air into thewarm milk by reason of the continuous air-bleed.

Afurther monitoring value of importance is the volume, orweight, of milkdrawn from each beast milked. ltwould be of value to knowthe quantity of milk drawn from each quarter and electrical flowmetering deviceswhich might be fitted in the shortmilk path are known. Yetwith reverse-flow and the mixing of milk in the short-milktubes, such measurement is not effective. Presently, milkvolume is measured by recorderjars located in the long milk tube from each claw- piece.

Recently, however,there has been developed, and described in British patent specification No. 2,057,845, a claw-piecewith integral valves, one atthe connec- tion of each short-milktube. This claw-piece prevents the mixing of miikfrom one short-milktube into another. Furthermore, it appears that this type of claw-piece is likelyto come into widespread usefor milking. Such an arrangement, preventing the mixing of milkfrom different quarters, is consideredto be an essential feature of the present invention.

More recently, also, there has been developed, and described in British patent specification No. 8512941, a method of automatic milking, using such a valve claw-piece, wherein the introduction of air into the milkflow upstream of the valves is not permitted. This method is know as hydraulic milking and is regarded as a preferred feature of the present invention.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide monitor means for milking systems using the recent advances in milking technology mentioned above.

Accordingly, the present invention provides automatic milking apparatus comprising a claw-piece, a cluster of four short-milktubes and associated teat cupsfor milking a cow's four quarters, a one-way valve system associated with the four short-milktubes effective to prevent miikfrom one cow's quarter entering the short-milktube of another quarter, a group of electrodes orelectrical sensors associated with each of the four shortmilktubes, for continuouslytaking electrical measurement of a plurality of values relating tothe milk passing through the related short-milktube, switch means forselecting electrodes orsensors of the fo(jr groups for monitoring, a data processing unit for converting electrical signals inthe various electrode or sensor circuits into meaningful values and display means forthe visual displayof such values.

Preferably, the said claw-piece and clusteroperate withoutthe introduction of air intothe milkflow upstream of thevalve system.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a method of automatic milking of a cow's four quarters using a claw-piece and cluster of four short-milktubes and teat cups, ensuring by valve meansthat milkf rom any one quarter does not enter the short-milktube of another quarter, monitoring by electrical means a plurality of milk-related values for The drawings originally filed were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy. The claims were filed later than the filing date within the period prescribed by Rule 25(1) of the Patents Rules 1982.

2 GB 2 182 534 A 2 the milkflowing from all four quarters, selecting the values and quarter's milkto be monitored at anyone time and providing a visua I display of the values so monitored.

Short Description of the Drawings

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, byway of example, with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a claw- piece according to the invention which is also constructed in accordance with British patent specification No. 2,057,845;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic section view of one of the four inlet nipples and associated valve of the claw- piece of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a block schematic diagram of the electrical circuitry associated with the claw-piece of Figs. 1 and 2. Description of the Embodiment

Fig. 1 shows an automatic milking mach ine clawpiece having a base part 10 and an upper pa rt 12 for sealed attachment to the base pa rt 10. The upper part 12 is a vacuum pu isation distribution block, which need not be fu rther described in connection with the present invention, and also incl udes the milk output nipple 14.

The base part 10 hasfourspaced apart milk input nipples 16,17,18 and 19. These are downwardly inclined as they enterthe body part 10 and then extend upwardly into the interior 20 of the base part 10.

Fig. 2 shows more clearly the entry passages from the milk input nipples, the construction of all being indentical. In Fig. 2, the input nipple 16 is shown downwardly inclined into the body of the base part 10 and then is seen to extend upwardly, as passage 21, past a valve seating 22, between vertical sections 23 of a bail-valve guide and into the interior 20 of the base part 10.

A metal ball closure member 27 is shown in both Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Corresponding ball closure members 105 28,29 and30jorthe corresponding milk input nipples 17,18 and 19, are also shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, milk drawn solely from the quarter corresponding to input nipple 16 is drawn into the claw-piece 10 by applied vacuum. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the method of hydraulic milking is used. That is to say, no air-bleed is permitted during the milking operation up-stream of the valve 22,27, nor, with respectto the other input nipples 17, 18 and 19, up-stream of the corresponding valves 1 using closure members 28,29 and 30.

Consequently, a homogeneous column of air bubblefree milk, solelyfrom the one cow's quarter, passesthrough the input nipple 16,as shown bythe arrows 31. This column flows upwardly in the passage 120 21, as shown bythe arrow 32 pastthe valve seating 22 and into the claw-piece interior 20, as shown bythe arrows33.

In operation,the ball closure member27 is urged by gravity downwardly, as shown bythe arrow34, onto 125 thevalveseating 22,to closethe passage21.This is the restcondition of thevalve22,27 intheabsence of milkflow. Resumed milkflow liftsthe ball closure member 27, in the direction of arrow35, to its open position as shown in Fig. 2.

As also shown in Fig. 2, the body of claw-piece base 10 is cut away at 40 to provide a cylindrical internal cavity which opens downwardly. This construction provijes an inwardly-facing wall of passage21 having parallel faces over most of its upwards extent. Into this walli are sealed a number of electrodes and sensors. In the present example, the group, shown generally at 41, comprises electrodesfor measuring milk conductivity and milk-flow velocity and a sensorfor measuring milk temperature.

Alternative oradditional electrodes orsensors may be provided as requiredto monitora pluralityof milk-related values.

In the present examplejor monitoring three milk-related values, six electrical leads are brought outjorming a cable shown at42 in Fig. 2. This cable is identified as cable (a) in Fig. 3.

In the block schematic diagram of Fig. 3,the circuit elements described above are shown again with the same reference numerals, the channel 21 being positioned horizontally, for convenience.

The electrical lead group forming cable (a), associated with the milkflowin input nipple 16, and also corresponding cables (b), (c) and (d), associated with the milkflow in input nipples 17,18 and 19, respectively, are connected as inputs to a circuit selectorunit50.

This unit might comprise mechanical switches but, in the present example, is a solid state switching unit permitting selection of any one to four circuits from thetotal of twelve circuits connected thereto.

The output of selector unit 50 is fed by line 51 to a data processor 52. The output portion of unit 50, shown at50 includes such analogue-todigital inter- faces as may be required bythe data processor 52 for processing the inputsignals to unit 50.

The data processor 52 employs a known central processing unit and both computes values in required form and provides output signals of suitable form. Thus, the unit 52 computes milk temperatures from the input signals of (a), (b), (c) and (d), milkvolume from theflow-rate signals for any of the four input nipples or a summation value for all four and provides a separate milk-conductivity value forthe milkflowing in each input nipple.

These output data values are provided in compatible forms for operating a monitor alarm 56, a data printer 57 and a numerical read-out unit 58, to which the corresponding signals are supplied byway of lines 53,54 and 55, respectively.

The apparatus of the invention as described above thus permits continuous monitoring during the milking of a single beast. Duplication or multiplication of the apparatus described permits of monitoring the milking of any number of beasts of a dairy herd milked at onetime. For each, separate and either simultaneous or sequential monitoring of milk conductivity from each quarter of each beast is provided and an alarm operated if any abnormal value, indicating the presence of mastitis, is detected. Milktemperature from individual beasts is monitored and an alarm operated if an abnormal temperature is detected. Milk volume yield may be computed separately for each quarter or an integrated value computedfor individual beasts.

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Claims (10)

1. A method of automatic milking of a cow's four quarters using a clawpiece and cluster of four short-mi lktubes and teat cups, ensuring byvalve means that. milkfrorn anyone quarter does not enter the short-mfrktube of anotherquarter, monitoring by electrical meann a, pluralltyof milkrelatedvaluesfor the rn.iikflowirTgfrorn a11four quarters, selecting the valuegand quarter's rnilktor be monitored at anyone time and providing a visual display of the values so monitored.

2. A method as claimedln Claim 1, for hydraulic milking, in which any continuous air-Weed on the upstream side of the claw-piece is excluded.

3. A method of automatic milking as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, inwhich milkfrom a cow's four quarters is drawn through respective input nipples into the claw-piece through four passages associated with the respectivevalve means and a group of sensors is used in each one of said passages, on the up-stream side of said valve means.

4. Automatic milking apparatus comprising a claw-piece, a cluster of four short-milk tubes and associated teat cups for milking a cow'sfour quarters, a one-way valve system associated with the four short-milk tubes effectiveto prevent milk from one cow's quarter entering the shortmilktube of another quarter, a group of electrodes orelectricalsensors associated with each of the four short-m i 1 ktubes, for continuously taking electrical measurement of a plurality of values relating to the milk passingthrough the related shGrt-milktube, switch meansfor selecting electrodes Or sensors of the four groups for monitoring, a data processing unit for converting electrical signals inthe various electrode orsensor circuits into meaningful values and display meansforthe visual display of such values.

5. Automatic milking apparatus as claimed in Claim 4,for hydraulic milking, in which continuous air-bleed means on the upstream side of the clawpiece is excluded.

6. Automatic milking apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which the claw-piece has a base partwith four input passages and four input nipples on the up-stream side of respective valve means, a group of sensors being provided in each of the said passages.

7. Automatic milking apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, in which the said input nipples are downward- ly-inclined into the claw-piece base leading to upward[V-inclined passages leading to the respective valve means, said group of sensors being located in the said upwardly-inclined passages.

8. Automatic milking apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, in which.the base dfth.,ectaw-pieceisf.ormed with an internaleavity having, an opening atthe bottom of the ctaw-piece and electrical conductors f rGm the said groups. ofsensors extend into the said cavity an,dawa.yfret.mtheclaw-piece base byway of 60,

9. A method of automatic milking as claimed in Claim 1, carried out substantially as described herein with referencetothe accompanying drawing,%.

10. Automatic milking apparatus as claimeffin Claim 4, constructed substantially as described herein GB 2 182 534 A 3 with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Printed in the United Kingdom for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Tweeddale Press Group, 8991685, 5187 18996. Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.