A METHOD OF AND AN IMPLEMENT FOR MILKING AN ANIMAL

Abstract: When milking an animal, such as a cow (1) the location of the teats (3) of the udder (2) must be determined. Such detec­ tion of the location of the teats (3) can be performed with a sensor (33) for measuring a distance to an object, such as an ultra-sonic sensor. Such a sensor (33) may scan the udder (2) from below to find parts of the udder that are closer to the sensor than other parts, such closer parts being identified as teats (3). Means are present for attaching the teat cups (4) to the teats (3) after identification of same.

Description: The invention relates to an implement for milking an animal comprising means for determining the position of the teats of the animal's udder, first moving members to position the individual teat cups underneath the respective teats, second moving members to move the teat cups upwardly and means for automatically applying the teat cups to said teats. Such an implement is known from US-A-4,010,714. This US-patent specification describes an implement wherein the individual teat cups can be shifted in two mutually perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane to locate the teat cups correctly underneath the respective teats, whereafter the teat cups separately can be moved vertically to connect them to the teats of the animal. The teat cups are positioned in the vertical direction; nevertheless, in practice the teats are directed somewhat outwardly, which makes the connection of the teat cups to the teats more difficult. The invention envisages an implement for milking animals as indicated in the opening paragraph, wherein the teat cups can individually be connected to the respective teats of the animal taking into account the possibility that the teats can be directed somewhat outwardly. To that end, according to the invention, the implement is characterized in that a substantially upwardly directed distance measuring sensor is provided which by means of a directed beam can scan the udder so as to identify nearer portions of the udder as teats, the first moving members causing the second moving members to pivot in two substantially vertical, mutually perpendicular planes, said moving members being controlled on the basis of data supplied by the measuring sensor. In this manner, the teat cup can be moved in any position desired. In a special embodiment according to the invention, each teat cup is provided with a pivotable subframe which can be moved by a first part of the first moving members and to which a second part of the first moving members is connected. In accordance with a feature of the invention, at least the second moving members may have a telescopically sliding portion. Furthermore, in accordance with the invention, the teat cup may be connected via a teat cup support to the moving members for attaching a teat cup to a respective teat, said teat cup being arranged in the teat cup support under spring action. In this situation, in accordance with the invention, the teat cup support may have an aperture through which the teat cup extends, while a coil spring may be provided around said teat cup, which coil spring bears against the teat cup and also against the teat cup support and is relatively weak, so that the teat cup can be moved easily downwards relative to said teat cup support. Further preferred features of the invention are set out in the dependent claims. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of an implement for automatically milking animals. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the implement; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the implement; Figure 3 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrow III of Figure 2, and Figure 4 shows a detail of Figure 2. The embodiment is only shown schematically in the drawings, while corresponding components in the various figures have been given the same reference numerals. Figure 1 schematically shows a rear view of a cow 1, in which view the udder 2 with teats 3 are visible between the hindlegs. An implement capable of moving the teat cups 4 to the teats 3 is arranged partially in the floor, substantially below the udder 2. This embodiment has four teat cups 4 (see Figure 3), but Figures 1 and 2 each show only two of them. Each teat cup 4 has a flexible, funnel-shaped upper portion 5 which can embrace the teats. Each teat can be moved by its support to the previously established position of the teat, because said support is provided with three motors 6, 7 and 8, e.g. electric motors, preferably stepper motors. Each motor is mounted on a telescopically slidable moving member. The moving member 9, which comprises a motor 8, is arranged pivotally about the shaft 10 in the frame 11 of the implement. Part 12 of the moving member 9 can be moved axially by means of motor 8, causing a subframe 13 to be rotated about shaft 14. Thus, as is apparent from Figure 1, the teat cup 4 can be directed to the relevant teat in a substantially vertical transverse plane relative to the animal 1. As is apparent from Figure 2, there is connected to the subframe 13 a moving member 14, portion 15 of which can be displaced axially by means of motor 8. Portion 15 of moving member 14 is connected by means of hinge pin 16 to a third moving member 17 which is supported, capable of pivoting about shaft 18, in the subframe 13. By means of moving member 14 the teat cup 4 can be directed to the relevant teat in a substantially vertical longitudinal plane relative to the animal 1 (i.e. mainly the plane shown in Figure 2). The moving members 9 and 14 are indicated in the claims as 'first moving members'. It will be clear that the position of moving member 17 can be operated such by adjusting the moving members 9 and 14 that the teat cup 4 is directed to the relevant teat 3, whereafter portion 19 (Figure 4) of moving member 17 can be slided outwardly such by means of motor 8 that the teat cup 4 connected to portion 19 is moved to the relevant teat 3 in an appropriate manner. The moving members 17 are indicated in the claim as 'second moving members'. Figure 4 shows in greater detail the manner in which the teat cup 4 with the flexible upper portion 5 is mounted on the telescopically slidable portion 19 of moving member 17. In this situation, the moving member 17 is connected to the subframe 13 capable of pivoting about shaft 18, which subframe 13 is connected to the frame 11 capable of pivoting about shaft 27. By means of a nut 20, a teat cup support 21 is mounted on the slidable portion 19 of moving member 17. The teat cup 4 is axially movable in said teat cup support 21, a pressure spring 23 being provided between said teat cup support 21 and a ring 22 fitted to the teat cup 4, whereby the teat cup can be pushed upwardly. In Figure 4 stop ring 24 of the teat cup 4 bears against the bottom side of the teat cup support 21, causing the teat cup 4 to be in its highest position relative to the teat cup support 21. Pressure spring 23 is a relatively weak spring, so that the teat cup 4 can be moved easily downwardly relative to the teat cup support 21, in particular when the teat cup 4 bears against the udder of the animal 1 with its funnel-shaped upper portion 5. Each teat cup is connected to the automatic milking machine by means of one or more flexible tubes. The drawings show only one flexible tube 25 for each teat cup, said tube 25 being connected to the automatic milking machine via the milking claw 26. Each teat cup 4 can be moved to the relevant teat 3 of the udder 2 of the animal 1 after the location of the teat 3, more specifically of its end, has been established. For three-dimensionally establishing (i.e. by means of three parameters) the teat end use is made of a sensor 31 capable of perceiving the distance to an object. For example, for this purpose it is possible to use a sensor which transmits an infrared beam and receives same again. Figure 3 is a plan view of the implement, in which view is shown that between the four teat cups 4 there is provided on the frame 11 a support 32, on which the sensor 31 is mounted. In this embodiment, the sensor 31 is directed substantially horizontally and attached to the sensor unit 33, which also bears a reflector 34 which gives the substantially horizontally transmitted sensor beam a substantially upward direction. By using such a reflector 34, which may be slightly concave in shape, a more concentrated and directed sensitivity of the sensor 31 can be obtained. The sensor unit 33 is attached in the intermediate section 36, capable of pivoting about shaft 35, which intermediate section 36 is connected to the support 32, capable of rotation about shaft 37. The intermediate frame 36 can be rotated about shaft 37 by means of a motor 38, preferably a stepper motor, whilst the sensor unit 33 can be rotated about shaft 35 by means of a motor 39 which, for example, is also a stepper motor. It will be clear that the sensor unit 33 can be moved to any position desired using the two motors 38 and 39, so that the beam emitted by the sensor 31 can be given any position desired. In the manner as described, the sensor 31 is capable of scanning the udder of the animal standing over it, e.g. by zigzagging across the entire area. The sensor 31 then always measures the distance to the udder and, when a significantly smaller distance than to the surroundings is measured, this will imply that the extreme end of a teat has been detected. Since the detection is effected from below, the location of the teat's end is defined as an object closer to the sensor than objects in the region around said teat's end. As the angular position of the sensor unit 33 both relative to the shaft 35 and to the shaft 37 is known at the moment when the end of a teat has been detected, and as also the distance to that teat end has been measured, the three-dimensional position of the teat end has been established. To that end, setting data for the motors 38 and 39 are processed in a processor (not shown), which processor is also capable of controlling the motion of the teat cups 4. Therefore after the location of the extreme end of a teat has been established, one of the teat cups 4 can be attached to said teat. For detecting the teats 3 and attaching the teat cups 4 several procedures may be followed. For example, the sensor may scan first the entire udder to check whether all the teats have been perceived, whereafter, during the attachment of each individual teat cup, the sensor directs itself to the relevant teat to observe any displacement. Alternatively, it is possible for all the teat cups to be attached simultaneously once the position of all the teats has been established. In the embodiment shown, the implement can be moved below the level of the floor 41 in the longitudinal direction relative to the animal by means of guide wheels 42 moving in rails 43. Alternatively, it is possible, of course, to move the sensor unit 33 laterally, instead of pivoting same, with the object of scanning the cow's udder. The ultra-sonic sensor 31 can be used with or without a reflector 34. Usually, such a sensor can measure distances of between 150 and 2000 mm. The radiation may be emitted at an angle of 10°. This angle can be reduced to 4° by means of a concave reflector, which enables a measurement with increased directivity. The sensor detects the distance to the nearest portion of an object located within the area covered by the sensor's beam.

Claims: 1. An implement for milking an animal (1) comprising means (31) for determining the position of the teats (3) of the animal's udder (2), first moving members (9,14) to position the individual teat cups (4) underneath the respective teats (3), second moving members (17) to move the teat cups (4) upwardly and means for automatically applying the teat cups (4) to said teats (3), characterized in that a substantially upwardly directed distance measuring sensor (31) is provided which by means of a directed beam can scan the udder (2) so as to identify nearer portions of the udder (2) as teats (3), the first moving members (9, 14) causing the second moving members (17) to pivot in two substantially vertical, mutually perpendicular planes, said moving members (9, 14, 17) being controlled on the basis of data supplied by the distance measuring sensor (31). 2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each teat cup (4) is provided with a pivotable subframe (13) which can be moved by a first part (9) of the first moving members (9, 14) and to which a second part (14) of the first moving members (9, 14) is connected. 3. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the second moving members (17) have a telescopically sliding portion. 4. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a teat cup (4) is connected via a teat cup support (21) to the moving members (9, 14, 17) for attaching a teat cup (4) to a respective teat (3), said teat cup (4) being arranged in the teat cup support (21) under spring action. 5. An implement as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the teat cup support (21) has an aperture through which the teat cup (4) extends, and a coil spring (23) is provided around said teat cup (4), which coil spring bears against the teat cup (4) and also against the teat cup support (21) and is relatively weak. 6. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance measuring sensor (31) can pivot about two horizontal shafts (35, 37) located substantially perpendicularly relative to each other, so as to enable the scanning of the udder by means of the directed beam. 7. An implement as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the distance measuring sensor (31) measures the distance by means of ultra-sonic radiation. 8. An implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a concave reflector (34) to produce a focussed beam.

Inventors: BOM, CORNELIS JOHANNES GERARDUS, VAN DER LELY, ARY
Applicants: C. VAN DER LELY N.V.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A01J7
IPC codes: G01S15, A01J5, A01J7