Space divider of a milking parlor arrangement, and milking parlor arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9918450-B2
Application number	US-201314384352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2012
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A space divider of a milking parlor arrangement for at least one milking parlor for milking milk-producing animals, wherein the space divider is arranged approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the animal to be milked, has an arm device having a milking cluster, which can be adjusted from a parking position to a working position and back. The arm device is arranged with the milking cluster in the parking position in the space divider and can be adjusted into the working position laterally to the animal to be milked between the front and rear legs thereof. The space divider is designed in such a way that no additional space is required between adjacent animals, so that many animals can be milked in a milking parlor arrangement while the smallest possible amount of space is required.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A divider for a longitudinal side of a milking parlor milking stall for milking milk-producing animals, the divider comprising:
an arm device for supporting a milking cluster and adjusting between a parked position arranged in the divider and an operating position determined to be between front and hind legs of the milk-producing animal, and the arm device includes:
an upper arm drive shaft pivotable about and vertically adjustable along a substantially vertical axis, and the upper arm drive shaft defines a hollow bore;
an upper arm joined to the upper arm drive shaft for pivoting movement about the substantially vertical axis,
a lower arm drive shaft disposed in the hollow bore of the upper arm drive shaft, and pivotable about and vertically adjustable along the substantially vertical axis, and
a lower arm pivotably joined to the upper arm and joined to the lower arm drive shaft.

2. The divider of claim 1 , wherein the arm device is further adjustable between an attachment position and the parked position and the operating position, wherein the attachment position is predetermined to support the milking cluster in a position for the automatic attachments of the milking cluster to the teats of the milk-producing animal, and further comprising:
a position sensor operatively associated with the arm device for obtaining teat position data of the milk-producing animal.

3. The divider of claim 1 , wherein the arm device operating position is a fixed preliminary position defined by a stop and to support the milking cluster in the fixed preliminary position.

4. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a drive unit arranged on the divider at an above-animal position and operatively engaged with the arm device.

5. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
an arm device drive unit arranged beneath a milking platform in the milking stall and the arm device drive unit is operatively engaged with the arm device.

6. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
an arm device drive unit releasably engagable with the arm device.

7. The divider of claim 6 , wherein the arm device drive unit is arranged beneath a milking platform in the milking stall.

8. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
an arm device drive unit including a servomotor.

9. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
an arm device drive unit including a direct drive.

10. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
an arm device drive unit including a torque motor.

11. The divider of claim 1 wherein, the arm device in the parked position is arranged in an opening of the divider.

12. The divider of claim 11 , and further comprising:
a protective covering for the opening of the divider.

13. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a milking cluster cleaning device joined to the divider.

14. The divider of claim 1 , wherein the arm device includes a parallel milking cluster guide.

15. The divider of claim 14 , wherein the parallel milking cluster guide includes a plurality of rods.

16. The divider of claim 14 , wherein the arm device is formed, at least partially, from parallel-guide drive elements.

17. The divider of claim 16 , wherein the parallel-guide drive elements include a traction device.

18. The divider of claim 17 , wherein the traction device includes belts.

19. The divider of claim 1 , wherein the arm device includes a device drive.

20. The divider of claim 17 , wherein the traction device includes belts.

21. The divider of claim 1 , wherein the divider and the arm device are preassembled into a modular unit.

22. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a cladding joined to the divider, and the cladding includes two self-supporting half-shells.

23. The divider of claim 22 , wherein the two self-supporting half-shells are hydro-formed from a stainless-steel sheet.

24. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a removable service unit.

25. The divider of claim 24 , wherein the removable service unit includes service-specific functional groups and components.

26. The divider of claim 24 , wherein the removable service unit includes milk-channeling functional groups and components.

27. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
quick-acting connectors for connecting the divider to infrastructure of a milking stall.

28. The divider of claim 1 , and further comprising:
transporting rollers.

29. The divider of claim 1 , wherein the arm device is adjusted into the parked position in a scissors movement.

30. A milking parlor for milking milk-producing animals, the milking parlor comprising:
a divider for a longitudinal side of a milking stall in the milking parlor, the divider comprising:
an arm device for supporting a milking cluster and adjusting between a parked position arranged in the divider and an operating position determined to be between front and hind legs of the milk-producing animal, and the arm device includes:
an upper arm drive shaft pivotable about and vertically adjustable along a substantially vertical axis, and the upper arm drive shaft defines a hollow bore;
an upper arm pivotably joined to the upper arm drive shaft for pivoting movement about the substantially vertical axis,
a lower arm drive shaft disposed in the hollow bore of the upper arm drive shaft, and pivotable about and vertically adjustable along the substantially vertical axis, and
a lower arm pivotably joined to the upper arm and joined to the lower arm drive shaft.

31. The milking parlor of claim 30 , wherein the milking parlor is a rotary milking parlor.

32. The milking parlor of claim 31 , wherein the rotary milking parlor is an external rotary milking parlor.

33. The milking parlor of claim 30 , and further comprising:
a service stage.

34. The milking parlor of claim 30 , wherein the milking parlor divider can be adjusted between the longitudinal direction of the milking stall, and an animal access position.

35. The milking parlor of claim 30 , wherein the divider is adjustable between a longitudinal direction milking position and an access position, wherein an end of the divider is oriented in the direction of a partitioning of a pit for milkers is arranged in closer proximity to the pit partitioning in the milking position than in the access position.

36. The milking parlor of claim 35 , wherein the divider is adjustable with other dividers, between longitudinal direction milking positions and an animal access positions.

37. The milking parlor of claim 34 , wherein the dividers in the access position at least partially define a sub-region of the associated milking stall, and at least partially define a full milking stall in the milking position.

38. The milking parlor of claim 30 , and further comprising:
a through passage-detection system joined to the divider.

39. The divider of claim 30 , wherein the arm device is adjusted into the parked position in a scissors movement.

Assignees

• Gea Farm Technologies Gmbh

Inventors

• Krone Otto
• Hensel Derk
• Mader Thomas
• Teckentrup Rolf
• Hönscheid Armin
• Hille Dieter
• Wiethoff Magnus
• Trossehl Marc
• Balkenhol Reinhard
• Matty Adib

Classifications

• A01J5/017

  Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters · CPC title

• A01K1/12

  Milking stations · CPC title

• A01J7/02

  for cleaning or sanitising milking machines or devices · CPC title

• A01K1/126

  Carousels · CPC title

• A01J5/007

  Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines · CPC title