Patent Publication Number: US-2004050333-A1

Title: Modular milking parlor and transport system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention pertains generally to the field of milking equipment and cattle handling equipment, and particularly to automated milking parlors.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] In a typical modern milking parlor, several cows are milked simultaneously using various types of automated equipment such as milking stations that have automated detachers that sense when a cow has finished milking, cut off the milking vacuum, and detach the milking cluster from the cow. Automated detachers of this type are available commercially from several companies. One type of commercial detacher utilizes a flexible support arm that extends out under the udder of the cow being milked, where it is connected to the milking cluster, such that the cluster is held by the support arm off the ground after the cluster is removed from the cow.  
       [0003] Various configurations for milking parlors have been developed. One of the most commonly used is the so-called herringbone arrangement in which several cows are led into the milking parlor at the same time and are lined up at a diagonal to the length of the milking parlor. The rear of the cow faces the milking parlor pit where an attendant can reach the udder of each cow and attach the teat cups. The cows are generally led into the parlor single file adjacent to the milking stations, with the first cow being urged into the proper diagonal position by an exit gate which, in its closed position, extends at a diagonal to the lengthwise direction of the milking parlor. To constrain the cows as they enter the milking stalls and to urge the cows to assume the proper diagonal position, a restraining structure such as a fence or bar is mounted along the length of the milking stations in the parlor at a distance from the milking stations which is less than the front leg to back leg length of a cow. In some herringbone parlor designs, after all the cows have finished milking, the exit gate at the end of the parlor is opened and the cows leave the parlor in single-file. Individual exit gates have also been built to form the restraining barrier so that each cow can be individually released from the milking stall when it has finished milking. Other parlor designs have provided an exit barrier parallel to the line of milking stations which is held in the normal lower position adjacent to the front or brisket of a cow during milking, and which is raised to allow all the cows to exit at once when all the cows have finished milking. By raising the exit barrier (“brisket bar”) in this manner, all the cows can quickly leave the milking parlor with a minimum of pushing and shoving. A herringbone-type milking parlor having a brisket bar apparatus is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,608.  
       [0004] Milking parlors with automated milking equipment are relatively complex systems incorporating not only mechanical structures but also multiple vacuum lines, milk lines, and electrical and/or pneumatic power or control lines, which extend from the individual milking stations out of the parlor and into other parts of the parlor building. For example, the milk from the cows typically flows through milk lines under vacuum draw to a bulk cooler that is usually located in a separate room. The vacuum lines must be connected to vacuum pumps at locations outside the immediate vicinity of the parlor, and electrical and pneumatic lines extend to compressors or power supply systems outside of the parlor. Milking parlors have conventionally been constructed and assembled on site, requiring the installation of an appropriate concrete floor, the mounting of cow stanchions and support structures for the milking machines onto the floor of the parlor at proper positions, and the installation of the hoses, vacuum lines, and electrical wiring to each of the individual milking stations. The construction of milking parlors thus has been relatively time-consuming and expensive, and has required highly trained personnel to properly install and connect the various electrical and vacuum systems incorporated in the milking parlor, and to adjust and troubleshoot such systems so that the parlor operates correctly.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] A modular milking parlor in accordance with the present invention includes multiple milking stations pre-assembled in a row onto a rigid frame which is installed as a permanent part of the milking parlor. Each milking station may include an automatic detacher unit mounted to the frame at the preferred height and spacing between milking stations, so that no assembly of such units is required at the installation site. The various milk hoses, tubes, wires, pneumatic lines, etc. that are required to operate the detachers may preinstalled and supported by the frame of the modular parlor, avoiding the need for assembly of such systems on-site. Ancillary cow control systems, such as entrance and exit gates and a brisket bar system, are preferably also preinstalled and mounted on the frame of the modular parlor. Installation of the modular parlor of the invention can thus be carried out very quickly, commonly in a day or less, and with minimal adjustment and troubleshooting of the factory-installed systems being required to make the parlor operational.  
       [0006] The modular milking parlor of the invention has a rigid frame on which the various components of the milking parlor, such as the detacher units, are mounted. The milking parlor frame preferably includes a rectangular frame base with front and back longitudinal members that are joined together by lateral members that extend between the longitudinal members. A plurality of upright members are attached to and extend upwardly from the frame base, and at least one longitudinal support member is attached to the ends of upright members along the front side of the frame above the front of the frame base. At least one lateral support member extends laterally from an upright member positioned at the back side of the frame and is connected to the longitudinal support member to brace the longitudinal support member. A plurality of milking stations are mounted in a row to the frame between the frame base and the longitudinal support member at the front of the milking parlor. The various milk lines, vacuum lines, and control lines may be installed as a unit extending from each of the individual milking stations to a common position at an end of the milking parlor where they may either be connected to other pipes and lines or extended directly to equipment outside the milking parlor. The modular parlor also preferably includes a gutter mounted to the frame base members along the front longitudinal side of the modular parlor. A brisket bar apparatus is preferably mounted to upright members of the frame at the back side of the frame base with the brisket bar thereof extending longitudinally along the back side of the modular parlor.  
       [0007] The modular parlor of the invention may be shipped as a unit and installed as a unit in the building that houses the milking parlor. Installation may be carried out quickly and conveniently by setting the modular parlor in place, with the frame base resting on a surface that has been prepared for it, and then depositing a layer of concrete over the frame base to completely cover and encase the members of the frame base, with the upright members of the frame extending upwardly from the concrete layer. Installation in this manner provides parlor surfaces that are easily cleaned and meet high sanitation standards, while firmly mounting the entire parlor in place. Nonetheless, the parlor can be removed as a unit at a later time by breaking up the layer of concrete to free the frame base.  
       [0008] The present invention enables convenient transport and installation of the modular parlor as a unit from the factory to the installation site. In a preferred transportation system in accordance with the invention, wheeled carriages are temporarily attached to the frame at several positions to support the frame above the ground. Each wheel on the wheeled carriages is preferably mounted to a carriage base by a jack so that the height of the wheel with respect to the carriage base can be raised or lowered. The wheels are caster mounted to freely rotate about a vertical axis. The wheels are originally raised to a position where a connector on the carriage can be engaged with a portion of the frame while it is resting on the ground. After the carriages are attached to the frame, the jacks are operated to drive the wheels of each carriage away from the carriage base, to raise the frame off the ground so that the entire modular parlor is supported on the carriage wheels. The modular parlor may now be rolled as a unit to a position where it may, for example, be loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport to the installation site and, after unloading from the truck, it may be rolled to the position in the milking parlor building where the parlor is to be installed. The adjustable height wheels of the carriages facilitate the transport of the modular parlor as a unit over surfaces that may be rough or uneven. For example, if the parlor is rolled to a position at which the level of the surface rises, e.g., at a curb, the wheels on some of the carriages may be raised upwardly to a position in which they are above the higher level surface so that the modular parlor can be pushed forward until the front wheel are over the surface; these front wheels are then lowered to support a portion of the module on the higher surface. The wheels on the other carriages may similarly be raised progressively until the entire modular parlor is now supported on the higher surface. Similar adjustment of the heights of the wheels can be carried out where the surface level drops or where there are irregularities such as holes and cracks in the surface over which the modular parlor is being transported.  
       [0009] Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] In the drawings:  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a modular milking parlor in accordance with the invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a back elevation view of the modular milking parlor of FIG. 1.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the modular milking parlor of FIG. 1.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the milking parlor frame of the modular milking parlor of FIG. 1, with wheeled carriages attached thereto to support the modular milking parlor during transport and installation.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a pneumatic jack system for adjustably controlling the height of the wheels of the wheeled carriages. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0016] With reference to the drawings, a prefabricated modular milking parlor in accordance with the invention is shown generally at  10  in FIG. 1. The modular milking parlor  10  has a rigid milking parlor frame  11  that includes a rectangular base  12 , a plurality of upright members  14  that are attached to and extend upwardly from the frame base  12 , and at least one longitudinal support member  16  that is attached to the top ends of at least two of the upright members  14 . The longitudinal support member  16  extends along the front side of the modular parlor. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame  11  further includes lateral support members  17  that are attached to the top ends of upright members  14  at the back of the frame and are connected to the front longitudinal support member  16  to provide rigid bracing to the longitudinal support member.  
     [0017] A plurality of milking stations  20  are mounted in a row to the frame  11  at the front side of the modular parlor  10 . The eight milking stations  20  shown in FIG. 1 allow the milking of eight cows simultaneously in the parlor. Although eight stations are shown, more or fewer milking stations may be provided as appropriate. The milking stations  20  may be any of the various types of automated milking units that are employed in modern milking parlors, and such stations generally include an automatic detacher that senses when the flow of milk from the cow has reached a level indicating that the cow is substantially milked out, and then removes the teat cup cluster from the cow being milked. A preferred type of detacher unit includes a flexible milking cluster support arm, illustrated in a simplified view at  22  in FIG. 3. An example of a suitable detacher unit is manufactured by the Germania Dairy Automation Division of Delaval, Inc., but it is understood that any other type of commercial milking station (preferably with automatic detacher) may be utilized in the modular milking parlor of the present invention.  
     [0018] A preferred structure for mounting the milking stations  20  to the frame is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and utilizes support bars  24 . The support bars  24  are welded or otherwise connected at each end of the row of milking stations to an upright support member  14  and to the housing  25  of the adjacent milking station  20 . Support bars also extend between and are attached to the housings  25  of each adjacent milking station at the tops and bottoms of the milking stations  20  so that the support bars form, with the housings  25 , a strong and rigid support for the milking stations  20 . One or more upright posts  27  may be mounted at their bottom ends to the frame base  12  and extend upwardly to attach to the housing  25  of one or more of the milking stations  20  to provide further vertical support for the milking stations and to rigidify the overall structure. Support posts  28  may also extend downwardly from the longitudinal support member  16  to attachment to the housings  25  of the milking stations to provide further vertical support thereto. Generally, the structural members of the frame  11 , the support bars  24 , milking station housings  25 , and posts  27  and  28  are made of a strong structural material such as galvanized steel or stainless steel.  
     [0019] As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame base  12  includes parallel longitudinal structural members  30  and  31 . Lateral structural members  32  extend between and are joined to the longitudinal members  30  and  31  at the periphery of the frame base and preferably at multiple positions intermediate the longitudinal ends of the frame base to provide a rigid rectangular structure. The structural members  30 ,  31  and  32  in the frame base  12  may be formed of T-shaped beams as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, with each beam have a flat base  34  and an upright web  35  extending therefrom. The structural members  30 ,  31  and  32  of the frame base are preferably formed of a strong structural material, such as strong galvanized steel or stainless steel, and are rigidly secured together such as by welding or by other secure means. As also illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a gutter  40  formed of an open topped, U-shaped structural member, is attached to the longitudinal frame member  31  at the front of the modular parlor and, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, effectively forms part of the frame base  12 . The front upright members  14  are secured to the structural member  40  forming the gutter, as by welding. A splash panel  41  extends upwardly and outwardly from the gutter  40  and directs animal waste into the gutter  40 . The gutter  40  and the splash panel  41  are also preferably formed of a strong and corrosion-resistant structural material such as stainless steel or galvanized steel.  
     [0020] While the milking parlor of the invention may utilize conventional exit and entrance gates, a preferred arrangement utilizes a brisket bar apparatus  45  of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,608, which is incorporated herein by reference. The brisket bar apparatus  45  includes a longitudinally extending brisket bar  46  which is mounted at its ends to a support mechanism  47  which is itself mounted to the side upright members  14  at the back side of the modular parlor. The brisket bar apparatus  45  can be operated to maintain the brisket bar  46  in its normal position shown in FIGS.  1 - 3  during milking and then, after all of the cows have finished milking, the brisket bar  46  may be raised above the heads of the cows to allow the cows to exit the parlor as a group. The milking parlor further includes an entrance gate  50  mounted by pivotal connections  51  to one of the back upright members  14  to swing between a closed position, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, and an open position in which the entrance gate  50  is swung aside to allow the cows to enter the milking parlor in the space between the brisket bar  46  and the row of milking stations  20 . A swinging exit gate  54  or a stationary barrier may be mounted to the frame  11  at the longitudinal end of the milking parlor opposite that to which the entrance gate  50  is mounted.  
     [0021] Milking stations with automated teat cup cluster detachers have a variety of hoses and lines extending to them through the milking parlor. These include the milk hoses which draw the milk from the cow through the milking station to join a common milk line, vacuum pulsation lines leading to the teat cup cluster, and electrical or pneumatic power and control lines. In the modular parlor of the present invention, the hoses and lines preferably are preinstalled and extend together from each of the milking stations  20  in a group  56 , which may be enclosed by a sleeve, up to the main longitudinal support member  16 . The longitudinal support member  16  may be formed as a hollow support member with an enclosed cross-section. All of the various pipes, tubes and control lines from the milking stations  20  may then be run together through the interior of the longitudinal support member  16  to an end position  58  where such hoses, pipelines and control lines are available to be connected to or to extend to equipment outside of the milking parlor. If desired, the various hoses and lines may be passed through the hollow support posts  28 . Alternatively, the groups  56  of lines and hoses may be run alongside the support member  16  to the end position  58  and may be covered, if desired, by an appropriate cover panel (not shown). A pre-assembled bundle may be formed which includes the pipelines and other lines as well as ancillary equipment, such as clean-in-place jetter holders, which can then be installed in the parlor on-site.  
     [0022] The modular milking parlor of the present invention is well-adapted to be transported as a unit from the factory to the installation site. Because of the strong and rigid construction of the frame  11  on which the other components of the modular milking parlor are mounted, the modular milking parlor  10  can be self-supported on temporary wheels. A separate truck or skid is not required to transport the assembled modular parlor in the factory and around the installation site. FIG. 4 illustrates the mounting of several (five shown) wheeled carriages  60  to various frame members to provide complete support to the modular parlor  10 . For clarity of illustration, only the frame  11  of the modular milking parlor is shown in FIG. 4, and it is understood that the wheeled carriages may be mounted as shown in FIG. 4 to the completely assembled modular milking parlor  10 .  
     [0023] Each of the carriages  60  has a carriage body  61  which is releasably attached to one of the structural members of the frame  11 . For example, the frontmost carriage  60  on the right-hand side of FIG. 4 is attached to the upright web  35  of the longitudinal member  30  by a downwardly extending section  62  of the carriage body which has a slot  63  formed therein which fits over the upright web  35 . A hole drilled through the upright web  35  allows a hand turned bolt  65  to be threaded through an opening in one of the walls of the carriage section  62  and through the opening in the upright web  35  and then threaded into an opening on the other side of the section  62  to firmly connect the longitudinal frame member  30  to the carriage  60 . Alternatively, the carriage  60  shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 4 has a post  70  mounted to it, e.g., by welding or bolting the post  70  to the carriage body  61 , with the post  70  then being firmly attached to one of the upright members  14  by clamps  71 . All such structures and all equivalent structures shall be considered means for releasably connecting the carriage body to a structural member. Similar carriages  60  are mounted to the frames  11  of the modular parlor at positions near the back corners of the frame as illustrated in FIG. 4, and a carriage  60  is also preferably connected to the upright web  35  of one of the lateral base members  32  to provide additional support for the modular parlor at a position near the center of the frame base. Each of the carriages  60  has swiveling caster type wheels  73  which are each attached to a jack  74  (e.g., similar to a trailer jack) having a post  75  that can slide upwardly and downwardly in an upright hollow sleeve  76  of the carriage body  61 . Suitable jacks are available commercially, e.g., from Northern Tool &amp; Equipment Co. A hand crank  77  is connected to a ratchet mechanism within each jack  74  and can be turned by hand to move the post  75  and the wheel  73  connected to it upwardly or downwardly with respect to the carriage body  61 . Thus, by turning the crank  77 , an operator can raise or lower the wheel  73  with respect to the frame of the modular parlor, and the relative height of each of the wheels  73  on the carriages  60  can be adjusted individually to account for changes in the surface terrain over which the modular parlor is being moved as supported by the wheeled carriages  60 . The wheels  73  may be adjustably mounted by other jack mechanisms, e.g., electrical or pneumatic drivers, that allow an operator to control the raising or lowering of several wheels  73  at one time. In an exemplary pneumatically adjusted carriage system, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 5, an air pressure operated piston-cylinder (e.g., 3 in. diameter), one of which is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5, can replace the screw of a conventional trailer jack. The cylinders  85  on each of the carriages  60  may be connected to a common air supply line  87  which extends to a regulator  88  and a reservoir tank  89  that travel with the modular parlor  10 . The reservoir tank is charged to an appropriate pressure level (e.g., 140 to 160 psi for a 10 gallon tank). The pressure regulator  88  regulates the pressure supplied to the cylinders. After the carriages  60  are attached to the frame  11  (while it is resting on the ground), the regulator  88  may be adjusted to supply sufficient pressure to raise the frame off of the ground (e.g., in the range of 3 inches). As the modular parlor supported by the carriages  60  is moved, if a wheel encounters a rise, it assumes more weight. The pressure in the cylinder connected to that wheel-and therefore the pressure in the entire system-increases (e.g., from 90 psi to 91 psi). In response, the regulator  88  (set, e.g., to 90 psi) maintains that pressure to all wheels so that the wheel displaces with the rising terrain while continuing to bear a relatively constant portion of the weight of the parlor. A valve  91  (e.g., a three-way valve) is preferably connected between the air supply line  87  and each air cylinder  85 . The valves  91  can each be manually operated to supply air under pressure from the line  87  in one position of the valve and to vent the air cylinder in another position of the valve. When a wheel  73  encounters a sharp rise (such as at a curb) the valve  91  controlling the air supplied to the air cylinder  85  connected to that wheel can be opened to release the pressure on the wheel, allowing the wheel to be manually raised to a new height to clear the rise, and the valve  91  can then be closed to apply pressure to the wheel to engage the higher surface. Such air cylinder-piston drives, hand operated mechanical screw jacks, electrically operated jacks and all equivalent devices shall be considered as means for adjustably mounting the wheels to the carriage body so that the wheels can be moved up and down with respect to the carriage body.  
     [0024] The carriages  60  at the center and back of the module  10  are initially attached to the frame  11  when the frame is resting on the ground, with the posts  75  connected to the wheels  73  drawn up into the sleeve sections  76  sufficiently to allow the slot  63  of the support member  62  to fit over the web  35  of a structural member, and to allow the bolt  65  to be threaded in to make the connection between the carriage and the structural member. The carriages  60  at the front of the modular parlor are also attached to the upright members  14  with the wheels  73  drawn preferably as far as possible toward the carriage bodies  61 . The cranks  77  on the carriages are then turned by the operator to drive the post  75  and the wheel  73  connected thereto for each carriage outwardly from the carriage body  61  and thereby elevate the section of the frame to which carriage  60  is connected off the ground. The operator can turn the crank  77  on each of the carriages as appropriate to have the carriages  60  completely suspend the modular parlor off the ground at a uniform height, preferably with each wheel  73  contacting the ground surface and providing support for the modular parlor.  
     [0025] After the carriages  60  have been mounted to the modular parlor and the parlor elevated so that it is suspended above the ground by the carriages  60 , the modular parlor  10  is ready for transport as a unit to the dairy where it will be installed. The entire parlor can be pushed or pulled, as supported by the wheeled carriages  60 , from the factory floor to the loading dock and preferably directly onto the bed of a flatbed truck that is at the same level as the loading dock. If necessary, the entire modular parlor can be transferred to a truck by use of a forklift, etc. The modular parlor  10  is secured to the bed of the truck and transported to the dairy where it is to be installed. For certain new installations, the truck may be able to back up to a platform which extends into the dairy building where the parlor is to be installed, allowing the modular parlor  10  supported by the carriages  60  to be rolled off of the truck and directly onto the platform, and thence into the position in the parlor building at which the modular parlor is to be installed. However, the present invention also allows the modular parlor to be transported into new or preexisting parlor buildings where direct unloading onto the platform of the parlor is not possible. In such cases, the truck carrying the modular parlor is parked as close possible to the parlor building and the modular parlor  10  is removed as a unit from the truck, either by rolling it off on a ramp or utilizing a forklift to lift the parlor  10  as a unit off of the truck and onto the ground. Once on the ground, the modular parlor then may be pushed or pulled over the ground surface to the position in the parlor building where it is to be installed. A particular advantage of the adjustable-height wheeled carriages  60  is that changes in the elevation of the terrain over which the modular parlor is being transported can be readily accommodated without requiring lifting of the entire modular parlor by a forklift or other external mechanism. For example, if the modular parlor must go over a curb or other small change in elevation, the leading end wheels  73  can be drawn upwardly to a point where one or more of the wheels is above the level of the curb, allowing the modular parlor to be pushed to position where those wheels are all above the curb, after which the wheels can be lowered to provide support for that end of the modular parlor. The other set of leading wheels can be drawn up in a similar manner to allow them to clear the curb and then be driven back down to provide support for the modular parlor. A similar procedure can be used with all of the other wheels  73  on the other carriages  60 . Similar adjustment of the height of the wheels can be used to accommodate rough terrain such as potholes or cracks in concrete, etc.  
     [0026] Once the modular parlor  10  has been brought into the parlor building and is positioned at the site at which it is to be installed, the cranks  77  can be turned by the operator to lower the modular parlor until the frame base  12  rests on the surface at the proper position at which the parlor is to be installed. The carriages  60  are then detached from the modular parlor  10 , leaving the modular parlor fully self-supported on the ground. If necessary, the modular parlor  10  can be moved by sliding it on the ground to precisely locate it in the desired position, and supporting material or shims may be added under the frame base  12  as necessary to precisely level the modular parlor. A layer of concrete may now be poured over the frame base  12  to entirely cover the longitudinal and lateral structural members  30 ,  31  and  32  of the frame base. The surface of the concrete layer is smoothed and treated as appropriate to provide a smooth, sanitary surface to support the cows during milking in the modular parlor. The layer of concrete, illustrated by the dashed lines  80  in FIG. 2, further serves to anchor the modular parlor  10  firmly in place in the milking parlor. Although the modular parlor at this point is essentially permanently installed, if, at a later time, it is desired to remove the parlor, removal can be accomplished easily by breaking up the concrete layer  80  that covers the frame base  12 . Once the modular parlor  10  is installed in its proper position, the milk lines, vacuum lines, and pneumatic or electrical power lines can be connected at the end  58  of the parlor at which the preinstalled hoses, pipelines, and lines extending to the various milking stations  20  are located. In this manner, installation of the milking parlor  10  can be carried out in a day or two with a minimum need for skilled technical personnel and with the milking stations  20  pre-adjusted at the factory so that they are ready for milking.  
     [0027] It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts set forth herein, but embraces all such forms thereof that come within the scope of the following claims.