Patent ID: 9049835
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: A01J

Abstract:
1. A milking cluster for connecting milking equipment to the teats of an animal to be milked, comprising: a plurality of teat cups engageable via head ends of said teat cups about teats of an animal to be milked and having milk discharge passageways connected to short milk tubes at the opposite ends thereof; a clawpiece coupled to said short milk tubes for collecting milk from said teat cups for onward delivery; injection nozzles adapted to deliver treatment fluid into said teat cups upon termination of a milking cycle; a distributor mounted on said clawpiece, said distributor comprising distributor outlets for distributing said treatment fluid to said injection nozzles via delivery tubes separate from said short milk tubes, said distributor further comprising a distributor inlet for receiving said treatment fluid, said distributor being configured to distribute said treatment fluid from said inlet amongst said outlets; a safety valve disposed at said distributor inlet, said safety valve having a drain port through which treatment fluid may flow to waste, said distributor inlet being configured to receive said treatment fluid via said safety valve when said drain port is closed, and said safety valve being operable to open said drain port during a milking cycle to prevent said treatment fluid from entering said distributor; and a further valve disposed upstream of said safety valve for connecting said distributor inlet to a first delivery line for supplying treatment fluid to said distributor, said further valve being mounted on said clawpiece in or in close proximity to said distributor, said further valve being operable to maintain said first delivery line primed with treatment fluid up to said further valve, wherein said distributor inlet is connected to a second delivery line for supplying treatment fluid to said distributor, said second delivery line being connected to said distributor inlet upstream of said safety valve and downstream of said further valve.