A teatcup to be attached to the teat of an animal and a teatcup liner (1) for mounting in a shell (2) of the teatcup, where the teatcup liner includes a barrel (3) enclosing an inner space (7) for receiving the teat. The barrel includes a lower section (3′) and an upper section (3″) adjoining the lower section. The barrel has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, defining a plurality of side portions (18) and a plurality of corner portions (19), each connecting two of the side portions. Each side portion has a side wall thickness at a center line of the side portion. Each corner portion has a corner wall thickness at a center line of the corner portion. The corner wall thickness is thicker than the side wall thickness along the barrel. The corner wall thickness decreases along the upper section of the barrel towards the lower section.

A milking apparatus is described that includes a longitudinally extending liner made from a resiliently deformable material. The liner is mounted on a rigid support shell. The liner comprises an outer hood configured to lie over an outer surface of the rigid support shell, and an inner barrel configured to be disposed within the rigid support shell and to define an internal volume. The inner barrel extends in the longitudinal direction away from an opening at a first end of the liner, through which opening an animal teat is insertable into the internal volume. The inner barrel is connected to the outer hood at a plurality of longitudinally extending connection regions on an inner surface of the outer hood. These connections define boundary conditions that limit the deformation of the barrel that encloses the teat can be set by the configuration of the liner itself.

Milking clusters for a milking installation have four teat cups, each teat cup having a cup housing and a teat cup liner with a top region and a suction region. A connection for a milk tube is arranged at the cup bottom or at the end of the suction region of the teat cup liner. A mouth portion of a sterile air pressure line is arranged in the top region of the teat cup liner, through which pressure line sterile air is introduced at a volumetric flow rate greater than a fluid aspiration volumetric flow rate at the milk tube, such that a sterile air blanket is established in the top region of the teat cup liner. The milking clusters with the cup liner and sterile air blanket prevent milked milk from being contaminated by contaminants and microorganisms from the shed air, extending storage life for untreated raw milk.

Milking clusters for a milking installation have four teat cups, each teat cup having a cup housing and a teat cup liner with a top region and a suction region. A connection for a milk tube is arranged at the cup bottom or at the end of the suction region of the teat cup liner. A mouth portion of a sterile air pressure line is arranged in the top region of the teat cup liner, through which pressure line sterile air is introduced at a volumetric flow rate greater than a fluid aspiration volumetric flow rate at the milk tube, such that a sterile air blanket is established in the top region of the teat cup liner. The milking clusters with the cup liner and sterile air blanket prevent milked milk from being contaminated by contaminants and microorganisms from the shed air, extending storage life for untreated raw milk.

There is provided a milking cluster (102) for milking an animal, the milking cluster comprising a plurality of teat cups (1) connected to a clawpiece (106). The clawpiece comprises a plurality of milk inlets that are connected to the plurality of teat cups via respective short milk tubes (11). A milk flow passageway begins at the barrel of the teat cup and ends at the clawbowl of the clawpiece, and a valve system is present within each milk flow passageway. The valve system comprises a first pressure-actuated valve through which milk flowing along the milk flow passageway must pass.

A milker unit short milk tube having a downstream milk claw connection end having a position and release device joined to and extending away from the downstream milk claw connection end; a controlled flexible portion disposed in an upstream direction from the position and release device; a reinforced portion disposed in upstream direction from the controlled flexible portion; and an interior milking claw inlet sealing surface.

A milker unit teat cup assembly for dairy animals having a shell and liner combination that resists twisting by the liner barrel relative to the shell using a recess in the liner that is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis in the liner and engaged by a key in the shell.

A milker unit teat cup assembly for dairy animals having a shell and liner combination that resists twisting by the liner barrel relative to the shell using a recess in the liner that is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis in the liner and engaged by a key in the shell.

A short milk tube for extending between a milker teat cup and liner assembly and a milker unit and the short milk tube includes a vent seat having an outwardly extending protective vent plug lip, and a stiffener at least partially surrounding the vent seat to control bending of the short milk tube.

A short milk tube for extending between a milker teat cup and liner assembly and a milker unit and the short milk tube includes a vent seat having an outwardly extending protective vent plug lip, and a stiffener at least partially surrounding the vent seat to control bending of the short milk tube.