A teatcup and a cartridge insertable into a connector of the teatcup to be attached to the teat of an animal to be milked are disclosed. The cartridge includes an elongated sleeve, having an upper end section and a lower end section, and a teatcup liner pre-mounted in the elongated sleeve. The teatcup liner includes an upper end portion located at the upper end section, a lower end portion located at the lower end section, and a barrel portion extending between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. The elongated sleeve includes three separate primary hook members provided circumferentially after each other on an outer surface of the elongated sleeve. Each primary hook member has a lower slide surface sloping upwardly and outwardly, and an upper hook surface extending inwardly.

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.

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.

A system and method for verifying proper milking system performance during the milking process. The system and method incorporates an integral function within a pulsator valve device that routinely performs functional evaluations and is capable of reporting results to the user. An additional air valve apparatus can be used to supply additional air to the pulsator valve device.

A system and method for verifying proper milking system performance during the milking process. The system and method incorporates an integral function within a pulsator valve device that routinely performs functional evaluations and is capable of reporting results to the user. An additional air valve apparatus can be used to supply additional air to the pulsator valve device.

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.

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.

A valve device that transitions between the pressure and vacuum phases for the purpose of milking animals. The improvement provides a pulsation output with a vacuum supply duration less than that of atmospheric air pressure supply duration.