AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING MILK FROM COWS AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BLURTON, of Field Hall, near Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the sixth year of His
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Blurton, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said William Blurton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Blurton, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING MILK FROM COWS AND OTHER ANIMALS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Blurton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: and more easily introduced into the passage of the teat, and is formed with
small holes in the upper end to allow the milk to flow through the hollow.
tube. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, but this simple tube I have found not
so desirable as the apparatus shewn in the following Figures, as it might
sometimes happen that after the discharge of the milk out of the udder air
might get into it, which is not desirable, as it might produce pain and inflam-
ation upon the udder again filling with milk; I therefore stop the end of the
hollow pipe, probe, or tube, and prevent the air getting up, by what may be
called a liquid valve, as is shewn in all the different forms in Figures 3 and 4,
5 and 6, 7 and 8, and 9 and 10, a portion of milk being retained in the
small bucket or cup into which the mouth of the hollow tube or probe
descends, its lower end being covered with the milk during the time the same
is running out of the udder and after it has stopped flowing, whereby the
admission of air into the udder is prevented. The same letters of reference
are marked upon corresponding parts in all the Figures. a is the hollow pipe
or tube which descends into the small cup, bucket, or chamber b, to which it
is soldered, the milk flowing first into this chamber or cup, and out of it at the
aperture or mouth c, into the milk pail placed to receive it.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I would remark that
these improved apparatus, or hollow tubes or probes, may be made of any
metal or material which will answer the purpose, as silver, German silver, or
best block tin, which I have found suited for the purpose, but other metals or
materials may be used. In applying the tubes or hollow probes the milker
first takes hold of the off hind teat of the cow with his right hand, and with his
left introduces the hollow tube or probe into the passage of the teat. about an
inch (and so on with the rest of the teats), when the milk will flow freely.
The milk pail or bucket may be suspended by a sling thrown over the hind
part of the cow, the hooks attached to each end of it being put through the
loops of the pail, whereby it will be slung or suspended under the udder, as
shewn in Fig. 11. It is advisable after introducing the hollow tubes or probes
to press the upper part of the udder with both hands for a short space, say
about a quarter of a minute, which will cause the milk to flow freely. By
this method of applying my improved apparatus, one person can attend to the
milking of seven or eight cows at the same, and go on changing the apparatus
from one cow to another until the milking of any number is completed.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that what
I claim as my Invention secured to me by the above in part recited Letters
Patent, is the improved mode or method of extracting or obtaining milk from

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Blurton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference.being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of an improved method of an apparatus for extracting milk
from cows and other animals, has for its object the obtaining or extracting
milk from cows in a more expeditious manner and with less labour than the
common process of milking by hand; and consists: simply in distending or
opening the passages of the teats of the cow or other animal, by the introduc-
tion of hollow probes or tubes, so as to keep open the passages of the teats by
forcing back the phincter muscles which otherwise retain the milk in the
udder, and thereby allow the milk to flow freely from out of the udder down
the hollow probes, pipes, or tubes into the receptacle placed to receive it. It
is well known that the action of the common process of milking by hand is
simply to squeeze out that portion of the milk which is contained in the teat,
the pressure of the fingers of the milker overcoming the force of the
sphincter muscles, or those which contract or close up the orifice of tho
teat, and on removing that pressure these muscles again close the passage,
and a fresh portion of milk enters the teat, which is then squeezed out,
and so on, until the operation of milking is completed. Whereas by
my improved method; the sphincter muscles are kept distended, and the
orifice of the teat kept open during the time the milk is running out of
the udder, the hollow probes, tubes, or pipes overcoming the contracting
power of the phincter muscles until the milking is completed, when the tubes,'
pipes, or probes are 'withdrawn. It may be supposed-that-the-introduction
and withdrawal of these probes, pipes, or tubes would hurt the cow, and the
animal exhibit symptoms of distress, but this I have found not to be the case,
but the cows rather appear to be relieved by the continuous flow of the milk
than otherwise.
:
And in order that my Invention may be better understood, I have
shewn in the accompanying Drawing several Figures of my improved
apparatus or hollow tubes, probes, or pipes for extracting the milk, which I
have found to answer the purpose well; but I do not intend to confine myself-
to the precise forms or dimensions therein shewn, as many different shapes and'
varieties may be made to suit different animals.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a simple hollow tube, probe, or pipe closed at the
upper end, and shaped somewhat blunt-pointed in order that it may be better

page_text: cows and other animals by distending or opening the mouth or orifice of the
teat by keeping the sphincter muscle distended or forced back during the time
the milk is running out of the udder; and also the improved apparatus above
described for this purpose, viz:-The hollow probes, tubes, or pipes which
effect the keeping open the orifice of the teat and form a free passage for the
milk to flow out of the udder and at the same time the admission of air into
the udder is prevented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Blurton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-six.
(L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of September,
in the seventh year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth,
the said William Blurton came before our said Lord the King in His Chan-
cery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing
therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instru-
ment aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of September, One thousand eight hun-
dred and thirty-six.