A protective device for a milking cup including a milking cup part enclosing a portion of the milking cup at a location of a connection, the milking cup part including a wall. The milking cup part includes an opening in the wall for passing through at least one of a milk discharge line and pulsating line, and a single-part or multipart line part connectable to form a circumferential wall for enclosing at least a part of the at least one of the milk discharge line and the pulsating line. The line part is connected to the milking cup part around the opening in the wall, wherein the line part, from the milking cup part, successively encloses first, second, and third parts, wherein at least the third part is dimensionally stable and the second part is, for example, at least ten times more flexible than the third part.

The invention relates to a rubber teat element (1) having a head part (2) and a shank part (3), which is connected to the head part (2). The head part (2) has a lateral surface (5) and an introduction opening (6) for an animal's teat, wherein the introduction opening (6) is delimited by an inwardly oriented lip (4). The lateral surface (5) has at least one expansion region (7), which extends over at least part of a lateral-surface circumference (8) and at least part of a head-part length (9), wherein the lateral surface (5) is of undulating form, as seen in cross section, in the expansion region (7). The invention also relates to a teat cup and a milking cluster having a corresponding rubber teat element. The present invention provides a rubber teat element which, in particular in the case of small, thin and short animal teats, can be adapted to different teat geometries on account of the radial expansion capability of the head part.

A teatcup liner includes a head defining a mouthpiece, a barrel with an upper barrel joined to a lower barrel, an outlet portion that extends downward from the lower barrel co-operates with the shell of the teat cup. In a relaxed state, the barrel has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, with the lower barrel having a flexibility for closing during the liner collapse phase of the milking operation greater than a flexibility of the upper barrel such that corner portions of the lower barrel are weaker than the corner portions of the upper barrel thereby assuring the lower barrel collapses first to create an upward wave movement of the lower barrel towards the upper barrel that securely collapses the upper barrel onto the teat to provide an enhanced teat massage and relieve congestion in the teat tissue.

A teatcup liner includes a head defining a mouthpiece, a barrel with an upper barrel joined to a lower barrel, an outlet portion that extends downward from the lower barrel co-operates with the shell of the teat cup. In a relaxed state, the barrel has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, with the lower barrel having a flexibility for closing during the liner collapse phase of the milking operation greater than a flexibility of the upper barrel such that corner portions of the lower barrel are weaker than the corner portions of the upper barrel thereby assuring the lower barrel collapses first to create an upward wave movement of the lower barrel towards the upper barrel that securely collapses the upper barrel onto the teat to provide an enhanced teat massage and relieve congestion in the teat tissue.

An improved teat cup, teat cup sleeve, milking machine and milking method provides cleaner milk by drawing air into the milk stream from away from the teat cup. The teat cup may include an air duct having a first end in fluid communication with the milk conduit extending outside of the shell to a second end located away from the shell of the teat cup. The air duct may form part of an air passage that extends between the milk conduit and an air inlet which allows control of the source, flow and purity of air entering the milk stream.

An improved teat cup, teat cup sleeve, milking machine and milking method provides cleaner milk by drawing air into the milk stream from away from the teat cup. The teat cup may include an air duct having a first end in fluid communication with the milk conduit extending outside of the shell to a second end located away from the shell of the teat cup. The air duct may form part of an air passage that extends between the milk conduit and an air inlet which allows control of the source, flow and purity of air entering the milk stream.

A system comprising a robotic arm, a plurality of grabbers, a sensor, and a preparation cup. The robotic arm has a first end and a recessed portion. The grabbers are coupled to the robotic arm at the first end. The sensor is positioned inside the recessed portion of the robotic arm at a first distance from the first end and at a first angle. The preparation cup is coupled to wings having a body portion, a first extended portion, and a second extended portion. The body portion is coupled to a portion of the preparation cup, the first extended portion extends in a first direction and the second extended portion extends in a second direction. The wings are operable to be magnetically coupled to the plurality of grabbers via the first and second extended portions.

A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine that a teat cup is to be attached to a front teat of a dairy livestock, and in response, determine an amount of separation between the front teat and a rear teat. The processor is further configured to calculate, if the amount of separation between the front and rear teats is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, an updated front teat position based on the amount of separation between the front and rear teats and command the robotic arm to move to the updated front teat position. The processor is further configure to determine whether the front teat is found in a scan of the dairy livestock by the laser, and if so, command the robotic arm to attach the teat cup to the front teat.

An air vent plug assembly and milker unit short milk tube having an air vent plug assembly to improve milk flow characteristics through the short milk tube. The short milk tube includes a wall with an upstream end and a downstream end and defining a milk passage bore extending between the upstream end and the downstream end. The wall defines a vent plug mounting hole. A vent plug extends through the vent plug mounting hole and includes a cap, a shaft joined to the cap, and a barbed end joined to the shaft, the vent plug defining a vent passage to at least partially vent the milk passage bore. A flow dimple is defined in the barbed end and disposed in the milk passage bore.

An air vent plug assembly and milker unit short milk tube having an air vent plug assembly to improve milk flow characteristics through the short milk tube. The short milk tube includes a wall with an upstream end and a downstream end and defining a milk passage bore extending between the upstream end and the downstream end. The wall defines a vent plug mounting hole. A vent plug extends through the vent plug mounting hole and includes a cap, a shaft joined to the cap, and a barbed end joined to the shaft, the vent plug defining a vent passage to at least partially vent the milk passage bore. A flow dimple is defined in the barbed end and disposed in the milk passage bore.