Expelling device and a milking arrangement provided with such a device

Abstract

An expelling device is provided that is configured to incite an animal to exit from of a milking stable in which the animal is standing during a milking session. The milking stable has a front wall element and lateral wall elements and is configured to house an animal that is being milked in the milking stable with the head directed to and close to the front wall element. The expelling device includes a sheet configured to move vertically from an elevated position to a position adjacent to a front end of the milking stable and adjacent to a lateral wall element of the milking stable.

Claims

1. An expelling device configured to be connected to a milking stable and to incite an animal to exit from the milking stable in which the animal is standing during a milking session, the milking stable having a front wall element and lateral wall elements and being configured to house the animal that is being milked in said milking stable with the head of the animal directed to and close to said front wall element, said expelling device comprising: a sheet configured to move vertically from an elevated position to a position adjacent to a front end of the milking stable, adjacent to a lateral wall element of the milking stable, at least a portion of the sheet being disposed within the milking stable in an area delimited by the front wall element and the lateral wall elements at the position adjacent to the front end of the milking stable.

2. The expelling device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is opaque.

3. The expelling device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet has a main extension plane and has an area of at least 10 dm.sup.2 in said main extension plane.

4. The expelling device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises an outer surface made of rubber.

5. The expelling device according to claim 1, further comprising: a suspension arm; and a suspension wire that extends from the suspension arm and that is connected to the sheet in one end of the wire.

6. The expelling device according to claim 5, further comprising a power device configured to control the position of the sheet by pulling or relieving the wire.

7. The expelling device according to claim 6, wherein the power device is connected to a maneuver element configured to be manually controlled and configured to control the operation of the power device.

8. The expelling device according to claim 6, further comprising a detector configured to detect the presence of an animal in a milking stable at which the expelling device is configured to be disposed; and a control unit connected to the detector and the power device and configured to control the operation of the power device based on information received from the detector.

9. The expelling device according to claim 6, wherein the power device is a pneumatic power cylinder.

10. A method of controlling the position of a sheet of the expelling device according to claim 1 in a milking arrangement, the method comprising: moving the sheet from an elevated position to an operative position adjacent to a front end of the milking stable and adjacent to one of the lateral wall elements of the milking stable upon detection of the following conditions: the animal being present in the milking stable, and it is determined that the animal shall leave the milking stable.

11. The expelling device according to claim 1, wherein the milking stable includes a food manger disposed at a front portion of the milking stable outside an area delimited by the front wall element and the lateral wall elements, and the sheet is configured to move vertically from the elevated position to the position adjacent to the front end of the milking stable, adjacent to the lateral wall element of the milking stable, and within the milking stable.

12. A milking arrangement, comprising: a first milking stable having a front wall element and lateral wall elements, the milking stable being configured to house an animal that is being milked in said milking stable with the head of the animal directed to and close to said front wall element; and an expelling device comprising a sheet configured to move vertically from an elevated position to a position adjacent to a front end of the milking stable, adjacent to a lateral wall element of the milking stable, at least a portion of the sheet being disposed within the milking stable in an area delimited by the front wall element and the lateral wall elements at the position adjacent to the front end of the milking stable.

13. The milking arrangement according to claim 12, further comprising at least one second milking stable, wherein the first and the second milking stables are divided by the lateral wall element adjacent to which the sheet is configured to move from said elevated position.

14. The milking arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the second milking stable comprises a food manger, and the sheet, when moved to the position adjacent to the lateral wall element, is configured to prevent the animal stationed in the first milking stable from seeing the food manger in the second milking stable.

15. The milking arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the second milking stable comprises a food manger, and the sheet, when moved to the position adjacent to the lateral wall element, is configured to prevent an animal stationed in the first milking stable from reaching the food manger in the second milking stable.

16. The milking arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the milking arrangement is a rotary parlor in which a plurality of milking stables are provided side-by-side on a rotating platform, and the milking arrangement further comprises a fixed exit configured to enable exit of the animal from the first milking stable facing said exit, and a fixed entrance configured to enable entrance of another animal into a neighboring second milking stable facing said entrance, the exit being adjacent the entrance, the exit and entrance of animals taking place in the neighboring first and second milking stables.

17. The milking arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the expelling device is stationary and arranged at the exit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing essential parts of a first embodiment of an expelling device according to the invention,

(2) FIG. 2 is perspective view showing essential parts of a second embodiment of an expelling device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a milking arrangement according to the invention provided with the expelling device shown in FIG. 1 in a first position,

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the milking arrangement shown in FIG. 3, with the expelling device in a second position,

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the milking arrangement according to FIG. 4 from another angle,

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing milking arrangement according to the invention provided with the expelling device shown in FIG. 2, with the expelling device in an active position, and

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the milking arrangement according to FIG. 6 from another angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an expelling device according to the present invention. The expelling device comprises a sheet 1, a suspension arm 2, a wire 3, and a handle 4 at the end of the wire 3 which is remote from the sheet 1. There is also provided a redirecting arm 5 which has the function of redirecting the wire 3 and making it easy to position the handle 4 so that it can be easily reached by a person that manually operates the sheet 1 pulling or relieving the wire 3 from a position remote from a milking stable in which the sheet 1 is to be introduced in order to incite an animal therein to exit from the milking stable.

(9) The sheet 1 may be made of rubber or plastic material of certain flexibility, is opaque and has a square main surface with an area which is larger than 10 dm.sup.2. The wire 3 is attached to the sheet 1 via chains 6 or ropes or similar. The suspension arm 2 has attachment means formed by clamps 7 that enable it to be easily attached to bars or the like of an existing milking arrangement. Also the redirecting arm 5 has attachment means formed by clamps 8 that enable it to be easily attached to a bar or the like of an existing milking arrangement.

(10) FIG. 2 shows an alternative, second embodiment of an expelling device according to the invention. The expelling device comprises a sheet 1 corresponding to the sheet in the first embodiment, a suspension arm 2 corresponding to the suspension arm in the first embodiment, a wire 9 and a power device 10 configured to control the position of the sheet by pulling or relieving the wire 9. The power device 10 is attached to the suspension arm 2. The wire 9 is in one end connected to the sheet 1 and in another end connected to the power device 10. The power device 10 may comprise a pneumatic power cylinder 11 with a movable piston (not shown) inside. The wire 9 is connected to the piston. In series with the pneumatic power cylinder 10 there is provided an auxiliary pneumatic power cylinder 11, which can bring auxiliary power to the first pneumatic cylinder 10 in case of need. The pneumatic cylinders 10, 11 should be connected to a pneumatic power source.

(11) The expelling device shown in FIG. 2 comprises a detecting means 12 configured to detect the presence of an animal in a milking stable at which the expelling device is configured to be arranged. The detecting means 12 of the exemplifying embodiment shown in FIG. 2 comprises a photo cell, but a camera or the like could be used as an alternative. The expelling device further comprises a control unit 13, wherein said control unit 13 is connected to the detecting means 12 and the power device 10 and configured to control the operation of the power device 10 on basis of information received from the detecting means 12. The control unit 13 may be a separate control unit or form part of a controller for other functions of a milking arrangement.

(12) The expelling device may, as an alternative to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, comprise a manoeuvre element such as a push button or a switch (not shown) configured to be manually controlled and configured to control the operation of the power device 10. Such a manoeuvre element may connected to the power device 10 by wire or wirelessly.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a milking arrangement comprising a milking stable 14, wherein said milking stable 14 has a front wall element 15 and lateral wall elements 16, 17 and is configured to house an animal 18 that is being milked in said milking stable 14 with its head directed to and close to said front wall element 15. The milking arrangement comprises an expelling device according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, with the sheet 1 shown in an elevated position.

(14) The milking stable 14 also comprises a food manger 19. The food manger 19 is located at a front end of the milking stable 14 adjacent to the front wall element 15. In the embodiment shown, the front wall element 15 is at a rather low level, and the food manger 19 is located outside the area delimited by the front wall element 15 and the lateral wall elements 16, 17. The animal 18 is assumed to lean its head over the upper part of the front wall element 15 in order to reach into the food manger 19.

(15) The sheet 1 of the expelling device is configured to move vertically from an elevated position to an operative position adjacent to a front end of the milking stable 14 and adjacent to a lateral wall element 16 of the milking stable 14. The movement of the sheet 1 is performed through manual operation of the wire 3. When the sheet 1 is in said operative position, the main extension plane of the sheet 1 is generally parallel with the main extension plane of the lateral wall element 16 and overlaps the latter.

(16) The front wall element 15 and the lateral wall elements 16, 17 are framework designs that enable the animal 18 to see out of the milking stable 14.

(17) The milking arrangement comprises at least one further, second milking stable 20, wherein the first and the second milking stables 14, 20 are divided by the lateral wall element 16. When the sheet 1 is in the elevated position, it is above the lateral wall element 16, thereby enabling the passage of the latter beneath the sheet 1. When the sheet 1 is in its operative position (see FIG. 4), the sheet 1 prevents the animal 18 from seeing a front part of the neighbouring milking stable 20, in particular from seeing a food manger 21 of the neighbouring milking stable 20.

(18) The milking arrangement is a rotary parlour in which a plurality of milking stables are provided side by side on a rotating platform. The milking arrangement comprises a fixed exit 22 delimited by a fence configured to enable exit of an animal from a first milking stable 14 facing said exit 22, and a fixed entrance 23 configured to enable entrance of an animal into a neighbouring second milking stable 20 facing said entrance 23, wherein the exit 22 is adjacent the entrance 23 and the exit and entrance of animals take place in neighbouring first and second milking stables 14, 20. In the specific embodiment shown, each milking stable is also provided with a retention bar 24 in the rear end of the milking stable. The retention 24 bar is automatically opened when the milking stable 14 reaches the exit 22 and closed as soon as an animal has entered the milking stable at the entrance 23. In the figures though, the retention bars 24 of the milking stables 14 and 20 facing the exit 22 and the entrance 23 have not yet been opened.

(19) The sheet 1 is moved to the operative position when the milking stable 14 has reached a predetermined position and it is detected that there is still an animal there inside. When the animal has left the milking stable 14 and the milking stable 14 is to continue from exit 22 to the entrance 23, the sheet 1 is returned to its elevated position.

(20) FIGS. 6 and 7 differ from FIGS. 4-6 in that the expelling device is an expelling device according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the operation is either semi-automatic, when a push button or switch is used to manually control the operation of the power device 12, or fully automatic, when a control unit such as control unit 13 in FIG. 2 is used for controlling the operation of the power device 10, preferably on basis of information from the detection device 12.