A safety valve arrangement and method, having an upstream block valve, a downstream block valve, and a pressure monitored galley between the upstream valve and the downstream valve.

In picking up tools in an automatic milking arrangement, the positions of the tools are determined by registering, via a camera at an origin location, three-dimensional image data representing the tools whose positions are to be determined. Using an algorithm involving matching the image data against reference data, tool candidates are identified in the three-dimensional image data. A respective position is calculated for the tools based on the origin location and data expressing respective distances from the origin location to each of the identified tool candidates. It is presumed that the tools have predefined locations relative to one another. Therefore, any second tool candidate is disregarded, which is detected at a separation distance from a first tool candidate when the separation distance exceeds a first threshold distance in relation to the predefined relative locations.

The positions of the tools in an automatic milking arrangement are determined by registering, via a camera at an origin location, three-dimensional image data representing the tools whose positions are to be determined. Using an algorithm involving matching the image data against reference data, tool candidates are identified in the three-dimensional image data. A respective position is calculated for the tools based on the origin location and data expressing respective distances from the origin location to each of the identified tool candidates. It is presumed that the tools are arranged according to a spatially even distribution relative to one another. Therefore, any tool candidate is disregarded, which is detected at such a position that the position for the candidate deviates from the spatially even distribution.

A system and method for automatically drying-off a machine-milked dairy animal by controlling milk production during a gradual drying-off period. During the gradual drying-off period, the dairy animal is not milked out. For each milking during this period, an amount of milk to be removed is determined, which is less than the amount removed at a previous milking. When the amount of milk for the current milking has been removed from the dairy animal, milking is stopped. The start of the gradual drying-off period is calculated from the dry-off date, the desired date of cessation of milking for this lactation, and from a predetermined drying-off period.

The milking apparatus includes a cluster (4) connected to a retraction line (10), and a cylinder (11) having a piston (13) being movable between first and second end positions. The piston acts on the retraction line to move the cluster to a retracted rest position when moved to the second end position, and to permit the cluster to be moved to an active milking position when the piston is in the first end position. A switch device (30) may alternate between a first state and a second state. The retraction line permits the switch device to change from the first state to the second state when a movement of the cluster from the retracted rest position is initiated. The switch device initiates in the second state supply of a pressurized medium to the cylinder to force the piston to the first end position.

The milking apparatus includes a cluster (4) connected to a retraction line (10), and a cylinder (11) having a piston (13) being movable between first and second end positions. The piston acts on the retraction line to move the cluster to a retracted rest position when moved to the second end position, and to permit the cluster to be moved to an active milking position when the piston is in the first end position. A switch device (30) may alternate between a first state and a second state. The retraction line permits the switch device to change from the first state to the second state when a movement of the cluster from the retracted rest position is initiated. The switch device initiates in the second state supply of a pressurized medium to the cylinder to force the piston to the first end position.

A milking device for milking a dairy animal includes a teat cup with a cup wall and a teat liner and a pulsation space situated in between, the pulsation space being connected to a pulsation device that is configured to apply a pressure that varies in pulsations to the pulsation space in order to open and close the teat liner. The pulsation device includes a supply line controllable by a first operable valve for supplying a first pressure, a supply line controllable by a second operable valve for supplying a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a control unit configured to generate control signals for operating the first and second valves. At least the first valve is a controllable valve having a passage that is adjustable during at least one pulsation phase by the control unit.

A milking device for milking a dairy animal includes a teat cup with a cup wall and a teat liner and a pulsation space situated in between, the pulsation space being connected to a pulsation device that is configured to apply a pressure that varies in pulsations to the pulsation space in order to open and close the teat liner. The pulsation device includes a supply line controllable by a first operable valve for supplying a first pressure, a supply line controllable by a second operable valve for supplying a second pressure lower than the first pressure, and a control unit configured to generate control signals for operating the first and second valves. At least the first valve is a controllable valve having a passage that is adjustable during at least one pulsation phase by the control unit.

A method and device for milking using a milking system with a control unit and an adjustable stimulator, including stimulating for a stimulus time and subsequently milking a dairy animal, measuring and evaluating the milk flow profile in order to determine if the milk flow profile is bimodal. If it is, then the control unit automatically adjusts the stimulating operation by extending the stimulating operation by an extension value. If it is not, then the control unit may, optionally automatically, shorten the stimulating operation. As a result, the milking system is able to reduce the strain on the teats caused by unnecessary stimulation or by milking in an efficient way during a bimodal part of the milking operation and also to adjust this during the entire lactation, if necessary. In this way, changes in the dairy animal itself are also compensated for.

A method and device for milking using a milking system with a control unit and an adjustable stimulator, including stimulating for a stimulus time and subsequently milking a dairy animal, measuring and evaluating the milk flow profile in order to determine if the milk flow profile is bimodal. If it is, then the control unit automatically adjusts the stimulating operation by extending the stimulating operation by an extension value. If it is not, then the control unit may, optionally automatically, shorten the stimulating operation. As a result, the milking system is able to reduce the strain on the teats caused by unnecessary stimulation or by milking in an efficient way during a bimodal part of the milking operation and also to adjust this during the entire lactation, if necessary. In this way, changes in the dairy animal itself are also compensated for.