Improvements in Teats for Milking Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Teats for Milking Machines.
We, ALEXANDER SHIELS of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
and WILLIAM ELLIOT, of Markgreen, Lanark, Cattle Salesman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in teats for use in connection with milking
machines, and it has mainly for its object to overcome defects in the present form of
teats, by making them more natural in their action.
In carrying out our invention we prefer to make the teat of indiarubber through
out or partially of indiarubber and metal, wood or horn, instead of being made of
horn alone, as at present. The teat is or may be made with a hollow bulb at its
lower end which communicates, by a pipe, with the vacuum apparatus and milk
receptacle. This bulb is connected to or made in one piece with, preferably, a thin
indiarubber stem or cylindrical piece which is surmounted by a comparatively hard
rubber or equivalent ring. The ring, which fits on to the teat of the cow, is, or
may be, retained in position by rods, or a glass or metal tube piece, attached to the
bulb and, preferably, surrounding the stem.
When the teat is fitted in place and a vacuum created therein, the thin stem
partially collapses thus pressing against the sides of the cow's teat and squeezing it
in the same or similar manner to hand milking. The rubber stem is, preferably,
made sufficiently stiff to expand again when the vacuum is reduced.
In order to ensure that there is perfect suction along the walls of the rubber
stem, said stem is, preferably, made with tubular or semi-tubular ribs along which
the exhausted air passes freely and the more effective the exhaust the tighter will
the stem grip the cow's teat.
The bulb, where it is joined to the. stem, may be so turned in as to form a hinge
for the stem, so that it can easily expand and contract.
In order that it may be easily observed if milk is flowing, a short piece of glass
tube or a tube with a piece of glass let into it, is fitted on the tube connecting the
teat with the milk receptacle or to the teat itself.
With the improved teat the milking is done in a natural manner and there is
therefore no liability of inflaming the teats and giving them a dropsical appearance,
or of rendering them blind as with the present form of teats.
Dated this 4th day of June 1891
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Teats for Milking Machines.
We, ALEXANDER SHIELS of 190 Bath Street, Glasgow, M.B., C.M., B.Sc.,
and WILLIAM ELLIOT of Markgreen, Lanark, Cattle Salesman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in teats for use in connection with milking
machines, and it has mainly for its object to overcome defects in the present form
of teats, by making them more natural in their action.
In carrying out our invention we prefer to make the teat of india-rubber through-
out or partially of india-rubber and metal, wood vulcanite or horn, instead of being

page_text: made of horn alone, as at present. The teat is or may be made with a hollow bulb
at its lower end which communicates, by a pipe, with the vacuum apparatus and
milk receptacle. This bulb is connected to or made in one piece with, preferably,
a thin india-rubber stem or cylindrical piece which is surmounted by a compara-
tively hard rubber or equivalent ring. The ring, which fits on to the teat of the
cow, is, or may be, retained in position by rods, or a glass or metal tube piece,
attached to the bulb and, preferably,, surrounding the stem.
When the teat is fitted in place on the cow's teat and a vacuum created therein,
the thin stem partially collapses thus pressing against the sides of the cow's teat
and squeezing it in the same or similar manner to hand milking. The rubber stem
is made sufficiently stiff to expand again, by its own elasticity, when the vacuum is
reduced.
In order to insure that there is perfect suction along the walls of the rubber stem,
said stem is, preferably, made with tubular or semi-tubular ribs along which the
exhausted air passes freely and the more effective the exhaust the tighter will the
stem grip the cow's teat.
The bulb, where it is joined to the stem, may be so turned in as to form a hinge
for the stem, so that it can easily expand and contract.
In order that it may be easily observed if milk is flowing, a short piece of glass
tube or a tube with a piece of glass let into it, is fitted in the tube connecting the
teat with the milk receptacle.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood, we have here-
unto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whercon :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one form of the teat.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a cross-section, on the line -, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of another form of the teat.
Fig. 5 is also a vertical section of another form of the teat.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a slightly different form of teat.
Fig. 7 is a cross section, on the line y-y, Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view.
Fig. 9 is a view of a piece of piping.
Referring to the drawings, whereon the same reference letters, wherever repeated,
indicate similar or like parts :-
Fig. 1 shows a form of teat, which consists of a vulcanite, horn or other suitable
tubular shell or casing a. The casing is, preferably, bent and tapered to the form
shown. Fitted inside the shell or casing a, is an india-rubber sleeve or cylindrical
stem b. An annular air-space c is left between the interior wall of the shell a and
the exterior wall of the sleeve or stem b. Holes d are bored through the shell or
casing a, for the purpose of allowing air, at atmospheric pressure, to pass freely into
the space c, and, when a vacuum is made in the interior of the stem b, to compress
said stem tightly against the cow's teat, in a similar fashion to hand milking. When
the vacuum is reduced or stopped, the rubber stem b, by its own elasticity, expands
and forces a part of the air, in space c, out again through the holes d. The space c,
we term a "pulsating air-space." The top of the sleeve b has fitted to or made onc
with it, a solid rubber ring e, which tightly grips the top of the cow's teat.
top of the shell or casing a is inserted into a groove el, on the underside of said
ring e. Fig. 3 shows the stem or sleeve in section. As will be seen, it is, for the
purpose of giving a slight rigidity, provided with a solid column or rib, at either
side. The stem or sleeve is also moulded with ribs e³, which have hollow air-
channels in them, which may extend, as shown at Fig. 1, almost throughout the
length of the stem or sleeve b. A ribe, and channel f, is shown to an enlarged
scale at Fig. 8. These channels ensure that a perfect suction takes place, along
the walls of the rubber stem b. 9 is the pipe, communicating with the vacuum
apparatus and milk receptacle.
The
The
Fig. 4 shows the teat, as made without an enclosing shell or casing a.
stem b, in this case, may be made of thin rubber; with a thickened ring or part e at

page_text: the top. At the lower end, the stem or sleeve is, or may be, connected to, or made
one with, a hollow bulb h. The bulb may be so turned in, on the top, as shown
at ', that the stem or sleeve b, can, in its pulsations, work as on a hinge. jare
stiffening and supporting rods, of metal or other suitable material, fixed, at their
upper ends, into the ring e, and, at their lower ends, into the bulb h. i is the outlet
to the vacuum apparatus and milk receptacle. The dotted lines at k, represent a
cow's teat.
In Fig. 5, the teat is shown as made with a sleeve band ring e, similar to the
teat at Fig. 4. The lower end of the sleeve or stem b, is also connected to a bulb /.
but the latter is not bent in or hinged, as at Fig. 4. The stem is surrounded and
supported by a horn, metal or other suitable rigid casing a. The casing, which
may be flanged or bent over at top and bottom, has holes in it, which communi-
cate with an annular pulsating air-space e, similar to Fig. 1.
l
Fig. 6 shows a teat, having an inner sleeve or stem b, made in one with a bulb 7.
The rubber stem and bulb is enclosed in a vulcanite or equivalent rigid casing a,
which is made one with a bulb h. The casing a and bulb h, may be made in halves
and be held together by a rubber ring m. The bulb may be solutioned to the
bulb h, if so desired. Fig. 7 shows a section of the stem. As will be seen, the
rubber may be made thicker at the sides. The stems, Figs. 4 and 5, may be of
a section similar to Fig. 7, or they may have ribs, similar to those at Figs. 1
and 3.
Fig. 9 shows the pipe g, leading to the vacuum apparatus and milk receptacle,
with a piece of glass tube n inserted in it. The pipe is cut away at n¹, for the
purpose of enabling the attendant to sec, at any time, whether the milk is flowing
or not.
With the improved teat, the milking is done in a natural manner, and there is
therefore no liability of inflaming the cow's teats and giving them a dropsical
appearance, or of rendering them blind, as with the present form of artificial
teats.
The device, hereinbefore described as a "teat," is, we are aware, sometimes
called a
teat-cup."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination in a teat for milking machines, of a rubber or like flexible
pulsating stem or sleeve (6), and of a supporting casing or shell (a), or its equiva-
lent, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
2. A rubber or like flexible pulsating stem or sleeve b, having ribs and air-
channels, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. A teat for milking machines, constructed substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown at Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings annexed.
4. The modified constructions of teat, made substantially as hereinbefore
described, with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings annexed.
5. The modified construction of teat, made substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown at Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 4th day of March 1892.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.