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.

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.

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.

Disclosed herein is a method of milking a cow using a milking cup of the type including a shell and a flexible liner, said liner including a hollow bore for receiving an animal's teat at a top end thereof, and for being connected to a vacuum source at the lower end thereof; the liner and shell being disposed relative to one another to create a pulsation volume between them in which fluid pressure can be controlled in order to control a pressure differential across the liner between its bore and the pulsation volume to thereby control movement of the liner and the application of air pressure to the animal's teat, the method including: Applying a vacuum to the lower end of the liner; Modulating the pressure in the pulsation volume according to a pulsation cycle to cause a milking operation on a teat of an animal that is inserted into the top end of the bore; said modulation including an on phase in which the vacuum applied to the liner bore is less than a vacuum applied to the pulsation volume to thereby enable milk flow from the teat, and an off phase in which the pulsation volume is at an increased pressure relative to the on phase to close the liner bore to thereby stop milk flow from the teat, said modulation including applying positive pressure to the pulsation volume to apply compressive load to the teat wherein the pulsation cycle has a duration of less than 1 second.

Disclosed herein is a method of milking a cow using a milking cup of the type including a shell and a flexible liner, said liner including a hollow bore for receiving an animal's teat at a top end thereof, and for being connected to a vacuum source at the lower end thereof; the liner and shell being disposed relative to one another to create a pulsation volume between them in which fluid pressure can be controlled in order to control a pressure differential across the liner between its bore and the pulsation volume to thereby control movement of the liner and the application of air pressure to the animal's teat, the method including: Applying a vacuum to the lower end of the liner; Modulating the pressure in the pulsation volume according to a pulsation cycle to cause a milking operation on a teat of an animal that is inserted into the top end of the bore; said modulation including an on phase in which the vacuum applied to the liner bore is less than a vacuum applied to the pulsation volume to thereby enable milk flow from the teat, and an off phase in which the pulsation volume is at an increased pressure relative to the on phase to close the liner bore to thereby stop milk flow from the teat, said modulation including applying positive pressure to the pulsation volume to apply compressive load to the teat wherein the pulsation cycle has a duration of less than 1 second.

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.

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.

The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.

The present invention relates to preparing dairy animal teats for being milked, and more particularly to teat preparation, rinsing, and milking that all take place in a milking machine teat cup liner. Such a method includes: applying a teat sanitizer to the teat; injecting air into the liner to force the teat sanitizer toward a waste milk line connected to the liner; pulsating the liner at a first pulsation rate; drawing a rinsing milk from the teat; directing the teat sanitizer, the air, and the rinsing fluid to the waste milk line; pulsating the liner at a second pulsation rate to draw additional milk from the teat; and directing the additional milk to a good milk line.

In order to avoid negative changes in the teat ends of a cow, in particular to avoid hyperkeratoses, the invention proposes a method for operating a milking system in which at least one of the parameters from total pressure per cycle, minimum total pressure per cycle or the ratio of total suction to total pressure is determined for at least one animal of a herd during at least one part of a milking process, and is compared with at least one reference value.