An Improved Mechanical Milking Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mechanical Milking Apparatus.
I, THOMAS STOLTENBERG, Timber Merchant, of 11, Pulverteich, St. Georg, Ham-
burg, in the Empire of Germany, 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:-
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanical milk-
ing apparatus for cows and other animals intended to replace the ordinary hand
method at present in use. The apparatus consists generally in a stout rubber ball
arranged with lip valves in such a manner that a vacuum can be produced and
further provided with tubes or conduits leading from one side to suction cups
placed over the teats of the animal so that the milk can be withdrawn therefrom
into the ball and conducted off through a lip valve and pipe into any suitable
receptacle or vessel placed underneath.
The improved apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings
as follows.
Figure 1 is an elevation with the ball in section and
Figure 2 is a plan of the upper portion of one suction cup.
The rubber ball a consists of rather strong and stiff rubber and it may also be
provided with stiffening ribs or webs usual in rubber balls of large diameter
(though not shown in the drawings). This ball a terminates underneath in a
tube c which serves to attach it to the milk receptacle or vessel and formed at the
bottom of the said ball and within the tube c is a rubber lip valve b.
The upper portion of the ball a is thicker as shown in the drawings and has an
air tight connecting piece through which the pipe e is introduced and this pipe
ends in a rubber lip valve d similar in construction to that last described. The
branch pipes or conduits e¹³, etc., lead from the main pipe e and they are of a
suitable number and length according to the kind of animal to be milked and the
number of teats or nipples.
On the pipes or conduits e¹, 2, 3, and, leading from the top of the ball the
suction cups are placed and when it is desired to place these cups in situ before
milking upon the teats of the animal; three fingers are passed through the eye
pieces g. The fingers are now opened out and this opens out the end of the suc-
tion cup and permits of it being conveniently spread over the teat or nipple of the
animal without injury to the same and further on release of the fingers allows the
said cup f to closely embrace the said teat or nipple. It is preferred to make
the eye pieces g of soft rubber similar to the suction cups.
The advantages conferred by employing such a mechanical milking apparatus
are of several kinds. In the first place the milk can be collected with absolute
cleanliness providing of course that the apparatus is kept sweet after each milking.
The reason is evident as the milk is protected from contact when leaving the teat
with the exterior air and therefore neither dust nor bacillae can be introduced into
it. The milk thus obtained free from bacillae and otherwise pure keeps much
better than that obtained by hand milking and therefore avoids the considerable
loss often entailed upon the owner under present conditions.

page_text: Another advantage pertaining to the apparatus is that considerably less pain is
given to the animals during milking than by hand and the inflammation of the
teats or nipples often caused by hasty or inexperienced hand milking entirely
obviated. Further from an economical standpoint the present apparatus com-
pletely milks the animal and therefore increases the yield while also greatly decreas-
ing the time required. This is especially true with young animals still unused to
milking and often restless as the process is easier and more expeditious.
In the construction shown the ball a is squeezed by hand forcing out the milk
from the ball by the bottom valve 6 and on the return causing a vacuum in the ball
and withdrawing milk from the teats by way of the branch pipes and valve d.
It is evident however that a simple mechanical attachment to the ball to perform
this compression and release could be arranged and in such a manner that a
number of these rubber balls could be operated mechanically from one source of
power and thereby produce increased speed and all without departing from the
subject of the present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An improved mechanical milking apparatus consisting of the following es-
sential features in combination; a rubber ball provided with an upper and lower
lip valve a number of branch pipes corresponding to the number of teats or nipples
to be milked leading from the upper lip valve, a suction cup with finger rings to
facilitate placing it in situ on the nipple attached to the end of each branch pipe,
and a pipe connection from the lower lip valve to the milk receptacle or vessel all
operating substantially as herein before described.
2. In mechanical milking apparatus providing upon each suction cup for attach-
ing pipes to the teats or nipples a number of finger rings eyes or openings so dis-
posed that the cup can be opened out and easily placed upon the teat or nipple and
then released to form a secure and easy joint all without causing pain or discomfort
to the animal.
Dated this 20th day of Jun 1908
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.