NZ329452A - Milking machine using vacuum and gas impulse for cleaning of milk line - Google Patents

Abstract

Liquid enters cleaning line 11 and is discharged from a pooling region of line 11 as a kinetic slug under action of air allowed into line 11 behind pooled liquid by a valve (not shown).

Description

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 329452/330599 Date: 19 December 1997/05 June 1998 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 'Milking Machines and Use Thereof' We, DEC INTERNATIONAL NZ LIMITED, a New Zealand company of 558 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: Intellectual Property Office of NZ 13JUN 2000 RECEIVED The present invention relates to milking machines.

Most modern milking machines operate in two modes (i) a milking mode; (ii) a cleaning or washing mode.

Frequently in moving from one mode to another in order to achieve effective washing reconfiguration of the lines is sometimes required. This may involve the use of multi pathway valving systems.

Examples of such multi-modal milking machines include several currently on the market in New Zealand [for example, THE WAIKATO™ SUPAMILKER™ milking machines of this company, the milking machines of Alfa Laval (NZ) Limited (marketed by Nu Pulse New Zealand), that offered under the trade mark MILKERWARE™ and that available from L Read and Sons of Christchurch].

Typical of such systems is that disclosed in Alfa Laval (NZ) Limited New Zealand Patent Specification No. 224545 and Maasland NV in European Patent Application EP0626129A1.

The present invention relates to a system embodied in milking machinery and thus the resultant milking machinery and the methods of operation thereof as well as sub assemblies which will provide an alternative to existing choices.

The present invention relates to a milking machine of a kind operable in a milking mode and (at least one) cleaning mode, said machine being characterised in that it includes: a milk receiver, a milk line to said milk receiver, means to draw a below atmospheric pressure in said milk receiver and said milk line, means providing a cleaning line having an inlet for a cleaning liquid in said cleaning mode and an outlet via a transition zone which opens into the larger cross-section of said milk line, said cleaning line being of a kind capable of pooling liquid that has entered via said inlet at a pooling zone prior to the liquid via the transition zone entering into said milk line, and valving means to allow an air intake into said cleaning line between said inlet and said pooling zone under the action of the below atmospheric pressure of said milk line, and being further characterised in that, in its or a cleaning mode, the air intake under the action of the milk line being below atmospheric pressure causes previously pooled liquid to run from said cleaning line via said transition zone as a slug of cleaning fluid into and along said milk line and from thence into at least said milk receiver.

Preferably said transition zone opens into said milk line as a flared substantially frusto-conical surface.

Preferably said transition zone includes located therein cleaning liquid flaring means to improve the deployment of the flushing cleaning liquid from the cleaning line of smaller cross-section into the milk line of a larger cross-section.

Preferably said cleaning liquid flaring means is at and partly downstream with respect to the cleaning liquid flow of the transition zone.

Preferably said cleaning liquid flaring means is substantially conical or frusto-conical member disposed to be substantially at the centre of said cleaning liquid flow. Preferably a milking machine of claim 3,4 or 5 wherein said flaring means is supported from an upstream position (relative to the cleaning liquid flow) from the wall of said cleaning line and/or transition zone.

Preferably there is a sanitary trap above said milk receiver through which the below atmospheric pressure is drawn by a "vacuum" pump and said intake air moved cleaning fluid moves from said milk receiver via said milk receiver into said sanitary trap.

Preferably in the cleaning mode, said valving means operates to allow a series of air intakes, each to force its own slug of cleaning liquid through said milk line.

Preferably said milking machine has a jetter line having jetters to which the milking cups of each milk claw can be attached when configured to the or a cleaning mode so as to utilise the "vacuum" in the milk line to draw a cleaning fluid in from the jetter line into the milk line.

Preferably said cleaning line is adapted to draw cleaning liquid from the same source as said jetter line.

Preferably said cleaning line has at least a rising region from the region at which intake air enters under the control of said valving means into said cleaning line so as to achieve sufficient pooling and/or flooding to ensure a sufficient quantity of the cleaning liquid for a slug flow along the milk line.

Preferably in the cleaning line, flow restricting means is positioned between the region where the intake air is allowed by the valving means to enter and the source of the cleaning liquid for the cleaning line such that, even there is, in the cleaning mode, a net drawn in flow of cleaning liquid into at least the cleaning line.

Preferably said flow restricting means is a restrictor plate.

Preferably said cleaning line is also valved.

Preferably said milk line has a fall from said transition zone to said milk receiver.

Preferably said milk line is a loop line and said transition zone is as far as possible, via the milk line, away from said milk receiver.

Preferably said milk receiver is connected to a milk pump and said sanitary trap is connected to a vacuum pump.

Preferably means is provided whereby said cleaning liquid can be discharged from the system downstream of the milk receiver at at least one outlet (whether upstream or downstream from said milk pump depending on the particular installation).

Preferably means is provided whereby any cleaning liquid accumulating in the sanitary trap can be drained therefrom as and when required, i.e. so as not to interrupt significantly the cleaning mode requirement for vacuum in the system.

Preferably said milking machine is substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In a further aspect the present invention consist in an apparatus to provide at least one cleaning line, valving means and transition zone for operative association with components of a milking machine so as to provide a milking machine as previously defined.

Preferably said apparatus also includes flaring means as previously defined.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in apparatus for retro fitting or for association with a milking machine so as to provide a milking machine in accordance with the present invention, said apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings .

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of operating a milking machine in its cleaning mode which comprises the operative use of a milking machine in accordance with the present invention.

Preferably said use is before or after operation of the milking machine in its milking mode.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of retro-fitting a milking machine which involves the operative use of apparatus as previously defined to provide a milking machine as previously defined.

As used herein the term "vacuum" is used in the normal sense utilised in the milking industry, i.e. it involves at least some reduction in pressure(s) below that or those of either the gas or fluid activating the pulsators/inflations of the clusters and/or is below ambient air pressure.

As used herein "cleaning line" preferably refers to a conduit or tube of any cross section. Preferably it is of a constant cross section but not necessarily so. In order to reduce flow restrictions, reservoirs or other expansions of the cross section of the cleaning line for the pooling and/or flow of the cleaning fluid is ideally to be avoided. However since this is not necessarily so, the term "cleaning line" should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a milking machine in accordance with the present invention in a diagrammatic form when being operated in its cleaning mode, Figure 2 shows in dotted outline on the left a conduit of smaller cross section feeding into a conduit of larger cross section via an expansion zone, such conduits preferably being circular with that on the left being the cleaning line and that of larger cross section being the milk line, Figure 2 showing in solid outline connected to the walls of the cleaning line a blade like member which carries a frusto-conical or substantially frusto-conical member which in its position partly within the expansion zone and partly downstream thereof will have the flaring effect on the flow stream as depicted by the arrows, Figure 3 shows a proprietary item as it might be manufactured, ie: a transition zone assembly for welding at each end into the milk line and cleaning lines, Figure 4 is a view BB of the flaring means alone, Figure 5 is a view of the arrangement of Figure 3 in the direction AA, Figure 6 is a view of the assembly of Figure 3 from the other end, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a variant of the flaring means of Figure 4 showing the flow deployment thereof, it being optional whether or not the flaring means includes a cone or frusto-conical or some equivalent flaring structure which is either solid in form or provided with any passageway or passageways therethrough.

As can be seen there is a milk line 1 which preferably is large line (e.g. a 101mm(4 inch) diameter milking machine milk line (and preferably a loop line)) that feeds to a milk receiver 2 which preferably is cylindrical in cross section as shown in Figure 1 and which preferably receives each end of the loop of the milk line 1.

Preferably a fall in the milk line occurs such that milk is assisted by gravity into the milk receiver 2. Likewise the cleaning fluid which in the preferred form of the present invention is water alone or water with appropriate cleaning agents has a rise against which the cleaning fluid must be urged.

In conjunction with the milk line 1 is a jetter line 3 having jetters spaced there along each to correspond to each milking station. This is shown diagrammatically by the ellipse 4. In each case it is a milk claw of each milking station attached to jetters of the jetter line 3 as preferably required in the cleaning mode.

In the cleaning mode therefore, as is conventional, under the action of the vacuum source (not shown) applied via the vacuum line 5 to the sanitary trap 6 of the vacuum line to the milk receiver 2, a flow of cleaning liquid from a source of cleaning fluid, (e.g. reservoir 7) occurs as depicted, (i.e. the cleaning fluid enters the clusters and then passes as arrowed therefrom into the milk line 1 along the usual milk conduit from each claw into the milk line 1).

In the cleaning mode cleaning fluid 2 (e.g. water with or without cleaning agents) can either be dumped directly out of one or both of the milk receiver 2 and the sanitary gap 6 or alternatively be dumped (as at 8) downstream of the milk pump 9. This can, if desired, be after the loss of the vacuum source.

The present invention has a cleaning line 11 with an air injection, induction or ingress point 12 such that cleaning fluid (whether sourced by drawing from the reservoir 7 or not) can travel along the cleaning line 11 and from thence via an expansion region 13 into the milk line 1.

Preferably a choking means restricting means or other flow impeding means 14 (shown diagrammatically only in Figure 1) is provided so as to restrict the uptake of fluid from reservoir 7 under the milk line vacuum into the cleaning line 11 yet, nevertheless, preferably maintain an appropriate trickle flow (at the very least) from the cleaning line 11, via the expansion zone 13, into the milk line 1 between slug wash type flows being induced from the pooling cleaning fluid of the cleaning line 11 under the gas input, intake, etc.

To this end, preferably between the gas or air intake at zone 12, there is a rise in liquid level so as to accumulate a pool of the cleaning liquid over a period of time between the slug flows. Preferably a one and a half degree rise (preferably consistent with the fall of the milk line) is sufficient for this purpose.

Preferably the air intake is from ambient air under the control of timers adapted to time valve controller impulses to enable sufficient pooling such that air enters directly into the cleaning fluid to thus cause the turbulent slug flow through the expansion zone 13, the milk line 1, about the receiver 2 and preferably at least in part into and about the sanitary trap 6.

Not shown are preferably release taps and/or valves for washing fluid in the milk take off system from the milk receiver 2 or the vacuum line system and/or sanitary trap 6.

Preferably the sanitary trap 6 is circular in cross section although shown in Figure 2 with its axis of rotation substantially normal to that of the milk receiver.

Preferably the system is such that any liquid accumulating in the sanitary trap 6 is released before it has the prospect of being drawn up into the vacuum line 5 in any substantial quantity.

The expansion region 13 is preferably an expansion cone going from 50mm to 101mm diameter.

Figures 2 to 6 show a preferred form of a component of the milking machine capable by welding of its preferred stainless steel components into the milking machine of providing the features depicted in Figure 2.

As can be seen the transition zone 13 provided by the construction of Figure 3 provides for a flaring means 14, namely a substantially conical or frusto-conical form (hollow, passaged or solid) of providing the flaring effect on the flow depicted in Figure 2, the flaring member 14 being supported by a blade 15 which is preferably tack welded at 16 to the walls of the cylindrical region 17 to be connected (preferably by welding or other means) to the cleaning line 11.

For the diameters referred to herein of a preferred milking machine preferably the frusto-conical part of the flaring means has a length of about 40 mm and expands as a frusto-conical form from a diameter of about 25 mm to a diameter of about 50 mm. Preferably the length of the blade or plate support therefore 15 is about 125 mm long and is tack welded within that region 17 of the structure of Figure 3 which has a length of about 50 mm.

All of the structure of Figure 3 is preferably of stainless steel.

As can be seen the support of the flaring member 14 by a member 15 having little effect on the flow and which, of itself, prevents little in the way of a cleaning difficulty is an enhancement of the flaring zone effect at 13 in a milking machine as described with reference to Figure 1. This is irrespective of whether or not we are dealing with an ended milk line 1 or a looped milk line into which (at a region most remote from the receiver 2) there is the provision of the transition zone from the cleaning line 11.

In use therefore the present invention provides an alternative to existing systems. The system can eliminate the 3 way trap and suction valves of most systems, remove the complexity of operation and to allow a 101mm (4") milking machine to operate in a standard wash configuration using the jetters to wash the cluster sets and a slugger-line to wash the milk-line and to create turbulence throughout the system.

The main difference of this system is that the 101mm milk-line need not have valves on the milk-line, the trap/receiver airline, or the receiver trap suction line to the milk-pump. The system preferably only requires valves for the intakes from 7 only.

The system operates using the slugger-line in support of the main jetter wash-line.

The system preferably incorporates the use of a stainless steel disc with a predetermined hole which is inserted between the preferred first nylon union in the slugger line to control the flow of wash water into the slugger-line. The slugger line falls at the same rate and direction as the milk line thus building a reserve of wash water similar to a weir system. The fall allows the pipe to partially fill with wash water during this process which is then periodically or from time to time blasted into the milk line using preferably an electronic air injector or valve.

The disc (hole sizes) are changed until the optimum flow rate is achieved.

The system may be used in the wash configuration using either standard or NRV (non return valve) jetters.

The system does away with all but the reservoir valve or valves and has no requirement for spray heads in the milk receiver.

A 50mm to 101mm expansion cone at the end of the milk-line the system creates in the wash mode a fan effect and spreads the wash water out and around the milk-pipe creating a slug that can be maintained through the entire length of the milk-pipe.

In the milk mode of course with the valve or valves to the reservoir 7 closed for preferably both lines 3 and 11 the milk claw clusters are used in the conventional sense and milk is drawn directly into the milk line (there being no flow through of liquid from the cleaning line 11).

Preferably between uses the milking apparatus is such that all cleaning fluid may be drained from the lines 3 and 11, e.g. as may occur after the removal of vacuum owing to the fall back into the reservoir for cleaning fluid 7.

It is believed that the present invention provides a viable option long awaited for large cross-sectioned milk lined milking machines.

Claims (26)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A milking machine of a kind operable in a milking mode and (at least one) cleaning mode, said machine being characterised in that it includes: a milk receiver, a milk line to said milk receiver, means to draw a below atmospheric pressure in said milk receiver and said milk line, means providing a cleaning line having an inlet for a cleaning liquid in said cleaning mode and an outlet via a transition zone which opens into the larger cross-section of said milk line, said cleaning line being of a kind capable of pooling liquid that has entered via said inlet at a pooling zone prior to the liquid via the transition zone entering into said milk line, and valving means to allow an air intake into said cleaning line between said inlet and said pooling zone under the action of the below atmospheric pressure of said milk line, and being further characterised in that, in its or a cleaning mode, the air intake under the action of the milk line being below atmospheric pressure causes previously pooled liquid to run from said cleaning line via said transition zone as a slug of cleaning fluid into and along said milk line and from thence into at least said milk receiver.

2. A milking machine of claim 1 wherein said transition zone opens into said milk line as a flared substantially frusto-conical surface.

3. A milking machine of claim 1 or 2 wherein said transition zone includes located therein cleaning liquid flaring means to improve the deployment of the flushing cleaning liquid from the cleaning line of smaller cross-section into the milk line of a larger cross-section.

4. A milking machine of claim 3 wherein said cleaning liquid flaring means is at and partly downstream with respect to the cleaning liquid flow of the transition zone.

5. A milking machine of claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said cleaning liquid flaring means is substantially conical or frusto-conical member disposed to be substantially at the centre of said cleaning liquid flow.

6. A milking machine of claim 3,4 or 5 wherein said flaring means is supported from an upstream position (relative to the cleaning liquid flow) from the wall of said cleaning line and/or transition zone.

7. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein there is a sanitary trap above said milk receiver through which the below atmospheric pressure is drawn by a "vacuum" pump and said intake air moved cleaning fluid moves from said milk receiver via said milk receiver into said sanitary trap.

8. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein, in the cleaning -10- mode, said valving means operates to allow a series of air intakes, each to force its own slug of cleaning liquid through said milk line.

9. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein said milking machine has a jetter line having jetters to which the milking cups of each milk claw can be attached when configured to the or a cleaning mode so as to utilise the "vacuum" in the milk line to draw a cleaning fluid in from the jetter line into the milk line.

10. A milking machine of claim 9 wherein said cleaning line is adapted to draw cleaning liquid from the same source as said jetter line.

11. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein said cleaning line has at least a rising region from the region at which intake air enters under the control of said valving means into said cleaning line so as to achieve sufficient pooling and/or flooding to ensure a sufficient quantity of the cleaning liquid for a slug flow along the milk line.

12. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein, in the cleaning line, flow restricting means is positioned between the region where the intake air is allowed by the valving means to enter and the source of the cleaning liquid for the cleaning line such that, even there is, in the cleaning mode, a net drawn in flow of cleaning liquid into at least the cleaning line.

13. A milking machine of claim 12 wherein said flow restricting means is a restrictor plate.

14. A milking machine of claim 12 or 13 wherein said cleaning line is also valved.

15. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein said milk line has a fall from said transition zone to said milk receiver.

16. A milking machine of any one of the preceding claims wherein said milk line is a loop line and said transition zone is as far as possible, via the milk line, away from said milk receiver.

17. A milking machine of claim 16 wherein said milk receiver is connected to a milk pump and said sanitary trap is connected to a vacuum pump.

18. A milking machine of claim 17 wherein means is provided whereby said cleaning liquid can be discharged from the system downstream of the milk receiver at at least one outlet (whether upstream or downstream from said milk pump depending on the particular installation).

19. A milking machine of claim 18 wherein means is provided whereby any cleaning liquid accumulating in the sanitary trap can be drained therefrom as and when required, i.e. so as not to interrupt significantly the cleaning mode requirement for vacuum in the system.

20. A milking machine of any one of the proceeding claims substantially as -11 - hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. Apparatus to provide at least cleaning line, valving means and transition zone for operative association with components of a milking machine so as to provide a milking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. Apparatus of claim 20 wherein there is also said flaring means.

23. Apparatus of claim 20 or 21 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A method of operating a milking machine in its cleaning mode which comprises the operative use of a milking machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20.

25. A method of claim 23 wherein said use is before or after operation of the milking machine in its milking mode.

26. A method of retro-fitting a milking machine using apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 23 to provide a milking machine of any one of claims 1 to 19. DATED THIS DAY DAY OF AJ Park