IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MILKING ANIMALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bowick, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MILKING ANIMALS."
Sealed the 3rd June 1879, and dated the 18th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bowick at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th December 1878.
THOMAS BOWICK, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford.
APPARATUS FOR MILKING ANIMALS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to improved apparatus whereby the milking of cows and
other animals may be greatly facilitated.
In connection with my improvements I propose to employ an exhaust pump for
drawing off the milk, or the intermittent pressure of confined air for squeezing out
the milk. When using an exhaust I provide teat cups with a flange to fit snugly
against the udder, and the bottoms of the cups I connect by flexible tubes to a main
pipe leading to the exhaust pump.
This pipe may be furnished with glass connections, which will enable the at-
tendant to see when milk is flowing and when it has ceased to flow.
The flexible
tubes I connect with the cups in such manner as will admit of their being readily
detached therefrom to facilitate the cleansing of the apparatus.
The milk drawn into the pump will be discharged into a pail or other receiver.
For supporting the cups in place I provide a frame, by preference of a cruciform
shape, and with radial slots through which the bottoms of the cups project. This
slotted frame while supporting the teat cups will permit of their adjustment to reach
the teats of the cow. The frame may itself be supported by a spring clip, or frame, a
yoke on the back of the cow, or it may be held in place by hand or otherwise
during the milking operation.
Two or more cows may be milked at the same time by connecting their teat cups
through flexible tubes with the main pipe which connects with the exhaust pump.

page_text: As a modification of this apparatus I form the teat cups (which are supported by
and adjustable in the cruciform frame) of flexible material, and fit them in a rigid
casing of such diameter that an air space will be formed between the cup and the
casing. The connection of the case and cup near the lip of the same may be made
of some flexible corrugated material.
Into the space formed between the cups and their cases I force air in pulsations
by means of a pump or its equivalent, and I thus cause the flexible cups to press
momentarily on the teats of the cow and then to relax their pressure, and I thereby
produce automatically an action similar to that given by the hand of the milkmaid.
The milk as it is forced out of the teats will be received into a pail fitted preferably
with a funnel shaped mouth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Bowick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th June
1879.
THOMAS BOWICK, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford.
APPARATUS FOR MILKING ANIMALS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to improved apparatus whereby the milking of cows and
other animals may be greatly facilitated.
To this end I employ compressed air or other fluid obtained from a force pump
or its equivalent for squeezing the teats of the cow and discharging the milk there-
from. The teats I enclose in rigid vessels or cups open at bottom for the discharge
of the milk, and into these vessels I force air, thereby imparting pressure to the
teats, which will be caused to discharge streams of milk in pulsations after the
manner of hand milking.
For supporting the teat cups in place I provide a frame with radial slots, through
which the bottoms of the cups project. This slotted frame while supporting the
teat cups will permit of their adjustment to reach the teats of the cow. The frame
may itself be supported by a yoke on the back of the cow, or it may be held in
place by hand or otherwise during the milking operation.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn the manner of carrying out my
Invention in several views.
Fig. 1 shews in plan view a radially slotted frame fitted with four teat cups.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, shewing also its connection with
the pump from which the compressed air is obtained for effecting the milking
operation.
Fig. 3 is a detached view of one of the cups, sbewing the same in cross section.
A is the slotted frame for carrying the teat cups B, B, which are adjustable
therein to bring them to the required position relatively to each other for receiving
the cows teats.
This frame is supported from a yoke or band passed over the back and haunches
of the cow, and attached to the frame by straps C, C, or a suitable equivalent.
The cups B are shewn as formed of two concentric tubes of flexible air tight
material a, a, preferably vulcanized india-rubber, the same being joined up at their
edges, and constituting an annular air space or chamber b between them.
The flexible portion a of the cup is inserted in and secured to a rigid case c,
which is formed with a flange to serve as a rest or support for the cup when placed
in the frame A.
A branch tube d connects with the air space b, and passes through the rigid case
to join with the tubes of the other cups of the group the common tube e, which
leads to the air pump D, as shewn at Fig. 2.
The teat cups are made preferably of a slightly conical form internally, the better
to fit the teats, and around the inner walls of the cups I mould annular ribs, which
will serve to grip the teats firmly during the milking operation.
Into the air chambers 6 of the cups I force air in pulsations by means of the
pump D, and I thus cause the flexible lining of the cups to press momentarily on
the teats of the cow and then to relax their pressure, and I thereby produce auto-
matically an action similar to that given by the hand of the milkmaid. The milk
as it is forced out of the teats will be received into a pail fitted preferably with a
funnel shaped mouth.
Instead of employing two thicknesses of flexible material I may line the rigid
case with a flexible tube joining the edges of this tube to the case, so as to form an
air tight joint therewith.
This modification is shewn in the sectional view, Fig. 4, where a is the elastic
lining of the metal case c, and 6 the air chamber formed by securing the upper and
lower edges of the lining and case together.

page_text: Air is admitted to this chamber by a pipe d, which is attached to the case c in
any convenient manner. I prefer to connect the upper edge of the elastic lining of
the cup to the rigid case by a ring of elastic rubber a*, which has concentric corru-
gations.
This mode of coupling the edges together permits of the air acting against the
upper part of the teat and squeezing it, so as to produce a most efficient action.
The junction of the india rubber with the metal may be effected during the
curing process or in any suitable manner.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Appa-
ratus for Milking Animals," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim the combination in a milking apparatus of air chambers for sur-
rounding the teats, while leaving the orifices of the latter uncovered, and means of
producing in said chambers an alternately increased and diminished pressure of air
or other fluid for obtaining a pulsating pressure upon the exterior of the teats, sub-
stantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bowick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy nine.