Patent GB-190327620-A (GB)
Title: An Improved Milking Machine.
Inventor: HUTCHINSON GEORGE
Filed: 1903-12-16
Granted: 1904-04-07
Abstract: 27,620. Hutchinson, G. Jan 23, [date applied for under Patents Act, A.D. 1901]. Cow-milkers.-Cows and other animals are milked by means of teat presses operated by the pulsating pressure of a liquid or a gas. Fig. 4 shows a section of one form of teat press, and Fig. 1 the general arrangement of the apparatus. The press has inflexible walls 30, 31 connected by a strip of flexible material 32 which passes nearly round the press, one end being provided with eyelets to pass over studs on the wall 31. The strip 32 may serve as a hinge so that the press may be opened for the insertion of the teat. Flexible pouches 35, 36 extend round three sides of the press and communicate with pipes 12, 11 respectively. A canvas cover holds the pouches in their relative positions, limits their expansion, and causes them to present an unbroken front to the teat. Flat elastic bands 105 may be employed. Fluid under pressure is admitted to the pouch 35 and distends it so as to press the top of the teat and prevent the upward passage of milk. Fluid is then admitted to the pouch 36 to force the milk from the teat. When the pressure is removed, the fluid runs out and the pouches collapse. The pressure in the upper pouch may be made greater than that in the lower. The teat presses 10 are attached to a cradle 9, Fig. 1, supported by the arm 8 of a bracket 1 hanging from a hook 2 which is adjustably connected with a spring 3, the tension of which may be varied by means of nuts upon the double strap-bolt 5. A spiral spring may be used instead of the flat one. The two series of tubes 11, 12 pass to pipes 13, 22 communicating with canvas or other bags 14, 23, respectively. The bags 14, 23, which contain water, are lined with india-rubber or the like, and are arranged beneath blocks attached to spring- controlled and pivoted levers 15, 24, which are intermittently pressed down by cams 16, 25 on the shaft 17 rotated by means of the conical pulleys 19, 20, and band 18. The cams 16, 25 run on rollers mounted on the levers 15, 24, and are arranged to compress the bag 14 and force water into the pouches 35, and then to compress the bag 23 and distend the pouches 36, the pressure being afterwards released suddenly so that the water may run back. The bags 14, 23 communicate by means of pipes 26, 28 with pressure regulators 27, 48. Air is compressed in the regulator chambers by means of air pumps, the pressure being indicated by gauges. The bag 23 communicates with an expansible relief bag inside the air-pressure chamber, so that, when the required pressure has been reached in the teat press, any further water which escapes from the bag 23 enters the relief bag. In another arrangement, the pressure in the regulator is obtained by means of a reservoir of liquid communicating with the air - pressure chamber through a flexible pipe, and raised to any height by means of a pivoted lever. Fig. 21 is a plan of the cradle, to collars on which the teat presses are screwed or otherwise fastened. The sockets of the leather collars 74, 75, 76, 77 are loosely threaded upon four strips of webbing which are adjusted by moving the ends along a rail 69. Lifting-pressure may be exerted upon the udder. Fig. 24 represents an apparatus by which the cradle may be supported from the back of the animal. A saddle 86 is pivotally connected to an arm 85 pivoted on a bracket 84 which may be moved along the bar 83 by means of the handle 96, worm 95, and rack 94. A spring 88 is secured to the outer end of the arm 85, and a cord 89 passes from it, over a pulley 90, to a lever 91 pivoted on a socket 92 rigidly connected with the bracket 84. When in the position shown, the lever 91 bears against a stop 82. The cradle is attached to the arm 8, and is drawn towards the udder by the spring 88. The milk passes to a receptacle through funnel-shaped tubes hooked on to each press, or down a U-shaped shoot which partially surrounds the four presses and is hooked to eyes on the webbing. Fig. 9 shows a modified form of teat press which may be operated by one pulsation apparatus. The outer cover 116 of the elastic bag 115 is secured to an inflexible wall 117 and has slats 118, 119, 120 arranged upon it. The slats are kept apart by links 121, 122 and carry bands 126, 127, 128 which press the teats against the convex india-rubber or other resilient face 125 of the inflexible wall 124. If the teat is short, the lowest slat may be locked by means of hooks. The relative areas of the bands and the portions of the bag pressing upon the slats are varied so that the band 126 may exert a greater intensity of pressure on the teat than the others and so prevent the milk from re-entering the udder. In order that the band 126 may act first, the bands 127, 128 may be restrained from moving so quickly by means of adjustable springs or elastic material secured to the slats at one end and threaded upon a rod passing through eyes screwed into the wall 124 at the other. Any number of slats may be used, and they may be arranged to come into operation in order. The restrainers may be dispensed with and an elastic bag with two divisions used, or two elastic bags and two pulsators as already described. In another form, the bands 126, 127, 128 and links 121, 122 are dispensed with and the teats are squeezed between a flat face and the slats 118, 119, 120, the upper one of which is narrow and receives the pressure from a large area of the bag 115, which may be made in folds so as to cause expansion to extend regularly to the edges. Fig. 28 shows an arrangement by which the press shown in Fig. 4 may be operated by means of one pulsation bag. The bag 23 is connected to a differentiator bag 146 within a frame 147 and beneath a plate 148 above which are flexible bags 149, 150 communicating with the pouches 35, 36, Fig. 4, respectively. By arranging the size of the bags 149, 150, and their position on the plate 148, the pressure in the pouches may be regulated. Adjustable springs 153 are employed to prevent the compression of the bag 150 till after the bag 149 has been compressed. The speed of revolution of the shaft 17, Fig. 1, and the pressure in the regulators may be regulated to suit each cow. Teat presses may be applied to any number of teats simultaneously, and several machines may be driven from one source of power.