Evening star., 1896-07-30
MILKING BY MACHINERY.

A United States consul Tells How the
Work IL Done in Sweden.
One Of the most Interesting reports issued
from the State Department for some time
has just made it's appearance. 1t is from
Thomas B. O'Neill United States consul
at Stockholm, Sweden, and is description
OF a milking machine in use in that coun-
try. The report will be read with delight
by the farmers and their wives and daugh-
ters. 1t is as follows:
BY friendly permission Of DR.. de Laval.
l had the pleasure of seeing this wonder
ful apparatus in operation on his estate,
Lila Ursvik. Spanga county, Sweden.
where experiments have been going on
since October last under the management
OF Mr.. Abr. Forssell.
1t has been thoroughly tested and found
perfectly satisfactory to introduce to farm
owners. The milking itself-that is, the
evacuation of the udder-is effected by
mere mechanical working Of the teat, and
not, as lately appeared in the press, by
combined squeezing and sucking. Arti-
nclal suction has proved to be rather i'm
practical and injurious when repeated too
often. and this is the reason why such a
method has been omitted in constructing
the lactator.
The milking Is done by two special ''or-
gans." or pair of cylindrical rubber roll
ers. that catch the teat at the root, thus
shuttirg OF the milk therein. The rollers
then move downward to the lower part
Of the teat. from whence the milk is
squeezed out by two plates moving paral-
lei with each other. The function Of the
rollers Is rendered possible by hold above
the so-called roof that Is regularly moved
against the udder, whereby a slight thrust
Is given to the udder, something like the
knock that the calf gives when sucking,
which facilitates the descending Of the
milk IN the teats, as well as the secretion
n 10 Yvnil tv,f fL@ .t,,1~
Every milking machine has four differ
ent arms. one for each teat, which, al
though with joint axle, work independ-
entity OF each other, and even alternate in
their movements. Their adaptation to the
udder Is done instantly. The arms move
very easily on joint and spring attach
ments In every direction without losing
the necessary steadiness. The pressure
against the udder Is effected through the
apparatus being fastened on to a horizon
tai rod. and so balanced that the front
part, which contains the driving mechan-
ism, and Is consequently heavier, presses
the lighter back part against the udder.
This pressure can be increased, If neces-
sary. by los ding the front part still more
The axle that Is common to the four
arms acts on very ingenious, but. at the
same time, very simple system of eccen-
trio pulleys and levers The rotation of
the axle Is effected through cord that Is
led over the heads of the cows, and Is
common to all the machines. Through a
simple coupling. this cord gives speedy ro-
tation to flexible axle. through which
the rotation Is communicated to the axle
or the four arms by means of a coupling,
which is done In an instant.
Inc placing of4the apparatus on the COW
is very easy performance. A belt that
carries the rod Is strapped on the COW with
single buckle. The apparatus is first
started and then put on the rod, and the
different arms are, adjusted under their
respective teats. which the rollers then i'm
nediately seize, and the milking begins.
The milk is Conducted through funnel
shaped so-called "teat protectors" and
short rubber tubes to a small tin cup that
Is hanging in these tubes, from whence
through vacuum arrangement 1t is drawn
up to tin bucket that hangs over the
mead OF the COW. From the moment the
milk leaves the teat protectors till it gets
into the tin bucket, 1t has not had any con-
nection with the outer air Even if the
apparatus works a while after the utlder
gives no more mink. and consequently the
TIN cup also becomes empty, no air enters
on account of an automatic arrangement
and this has the result that the milk is as
free as possible from bacteria and keeps
longer.
BY using the lactator the great trouble
to procure and control dairy maids Is
avoided; besides, the milking is done in
sufficiently clean manner to meet all hy-
gienic demands. The dairy products will
OF course, at the same time keep longer
and become more valuable The COWS seem
to enjoy being treated by the machine.