Improvements in and relating to Milking Machines and their Fittings.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Milking Machines and their
Fittings.
We, STEWART NICHOLSON, Farmer, of Bombie Farm, near the Town and in
the County of Kircudbright, and JOHN GRAY, Dairy Implement Manufacturer,
of 65 George Street, Stranraer, in the County of Wigtown, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention to be as follows:
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode of and
means or arrangement and combination of appliances or machines for the milking
of cows, goats, or other animals, and which will be more simple, cleaner, con-
venient, efficient and automatic than the appliances heretofore in use.
as here-
The nature and novelty of our improvements consist all as follows:-A large
hollow tank or general milk receiving vessel preferably of cylindrical shape is placed
preferably on a portable "trolly" or it may be on the ground level or a recess
below it in the dairy or other convenient part of the farm steading near where
the animals are to be milked, and forms the vacuum cylinder and general milk
receiving vessel or reservoir combined or it might only be the vacuum
vessel with intermediate portable milk receiving vessels for each cow
inafter described.
An air or suction pump, preferably operated direct by a
hand wheel or crank arrangement or a small motor is erected at the side of this
vessel, and connected by an air suction pipe to the top of the vessel to create a
partial vacuum or suction within it, regulated by a weighted or spring lever
valve opening inwards when the maximum vacuum was obtained, and a vacuum
gauge would be fitted on the vessel to show the degree of vacuum within; and the
top of the vessel would be fitted with a hinged or removable tight jointed lid with
rubber or other jointing material, for the washing and cleaning out of the vessel,
and be fitted with a tap and branch at its lower part for drawing off the milk. Or
otherwise when the vessel is placed below the ground level the milk may be
removed by putting pressure of air on the top of the milk by the same pump which
produced the vacuum, by reversing cocks and valves, the milk being forced up the
branch from near the bottom of the vessel, a tap being fitted on the branch leading
to the suction or milk pipes near the top of the tank.
on this tank or vessel, suction or joint suction and milk pipes, would be led in a
trough with removable covers for cleansing purposes, preferably below the ground
level through the "byre
or place where the cows are housed, close up to the
division posts between the stalls and preferably below or in front of the udders of
have glass tubes inserted or cemented in them, and are jointed at their ends by butt
These pipes are made in lengths of malleable iron or other metal and
joints and sleeves and collars of rubber.
that is, at each post between the stalls union joint connections would be formed,
At intervals along the length of piping,
preferably of metal with vertical internally screwed sockets and rubber hollow
tight jointed plugs or sleeves, and into which a close ended stem piece of piping is
inserted with rose holes in the sides of its lower end working tight up and down
in the stuffing lower sleeve piece. The upper end of this moving piece would be
fitted with a rubber ferrule or ring packing on to which would be inserted the
ower socket end of a double branch metal tube, one branch for each cow curving
the cows.
"
From a branch or branches

page_text: out to each stall, this branch having a stop for regulating the distance each shall be
pulled up or pushed down. When pushed down the rose holes in the lower end of
the branch piece would be down clear of its joint socket and open to the suction
in the main suction or milk pipes for either producing the vacuum or drawing of
the milk; but when this branch was not required and no cows to be milked in
these stalls, this rose branch would be pulled up into its closing rubber socket and
so entirely shut off these two branches to the suction or milk pipes. Another
improvement consists in forming the open upper end of each of these branches of
an angular or curved shape for inserting an india-rubber branch pipe to, leading to
the four joint coupling metal pieces for the four teats of each cow, so that when
this rubber branch piece was allowed to fall or hang down from the open end of
the metal branches they would automatically close the open end and maintain the
vacuum within the pipes, and the hollow triangular metal part jointed to the other
end of the rubber tube would have four small metal branches leading from it, each
with their open ends bevelled or curved in the same way as the first branch
leading to the whole, and fitted to the near end of small rubber tubes, having their
outer ends attached to the lower contracted or apex ends of the conic teat receiving
cups, so that when any one of these would fall off, the rubber connecting tube
would automatically close the open end of its branch formed as described. The
cups for receiving and fitting on to the teats are further made of horn or other
unbreakable transparent substance so as to see when the milk is flowing and of an
improved hollow curved conical form like the short horn of a cow, to bend or
curve the teat in the same manner as the calf's mouth does; and the upper lip of
each horn is formed with an improved construction of double grooved or triple
annular rimmed jointing washer of vulcanized rubber, which makes a perfectly
tight joint to the cow's teat and udder and to the wide end of the cup or horn,
and the weight of which when it falls away assists its rubber tube to hermetically
close the open end of its metal branch so that the vacuum is always maintained
constant in the other branches and cups in use without the use of taps or valves as
heretofore required. In operation the teats of each cow are simply placed in the
horn cups, and the vacuum or suction caused by the pump in the milk reservoir
draws the milk away from the cow through the india-rubber branches and glass
and metal main pipes to the reservoir. By these improvements leakage is reduced
to a minimum, and in this way all the taps and valves may be dispensed with, the
air and milk in this araangement being drawn off through the same main pipes to
the general milk receiving and vacuum tank.
By another improved arrangement the main milk reservoir is made a vacuum
vessel alone, and the milk is received into improved intercepting portable vessels or
pails placed between the rubber tubes and the T metal branches, so as to isolate
the milk of each cow. In this arrangement the double branches at each stall
leading from the main pipe, lead by their rubber connecting branch into a metal
branch connected to the top of the improved local portable vessels, and this branch
would preferably be secured on to the top of a weighted cover over the opening
for withdrawing the milk and washing this vessel out by, and the weight of the
cover acting by a sharp rim or edge on its under side against a rubber jointing
washer, would hermetically seal the joint, so that the air only from the upper part
of the milk pail would be drawn off to the main vacuum vessel common to the
whole connected to the air pump. This arrangement would reduce the pulsations
of the air in the main vessel acting in each local milk receiving vessel, and have a
more steady suction in all these. Each of these local milk and suction vessels
would have another metal branch projecting up from the top with curved and
angled open end for the attachment of the single rubber connecting branch leading
to the four branched metal triangular pipe piece leading to the cups for the teats
of each cow, so that when these fell down or were removed from the teats of each
cow, the main connecting rubber would automatically close the open end of its
inetal branch as herein before described in reference to the first arrangement. Each
of these local milk and suction vessels or pails, would be fitted with a vertical strip

page_text: of glass on its one side with divided index to indicate how much milk was drawn off
at each application from each cow, and each vessel would be provided with a
handle or handles for removing it and emptying out the milk. Before removing
the vessel the weighted lid. would be lifted off and its rubber tube folded down over
its open metal branch to close it; or when both cows of the connection branches
were milked their common rose stem would be drawn up into its stuffing box
sleeve out of the suction pipe, and so close the suction connection with both milk
vessels.
Dated the 12th
1001
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Milking Machines and their
Fittings.
We, STEWART NICHOLSON, Farmer, of Bombie Farm, near the Town and in
the County of Kirkcudbright, and JOHN GRAY, Dairy Implement Manufacturer,
of 65 George Street Stranraer, in the County of Wigtown, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved mode of, and
means or arrangement and combination of appliances or machines for the milking
of cows, goats, or other like animals, and which will be more simple, cleaner,
convenient, efficient and automatic than the appliances heretofore in use.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation showing how our new system, or arrangement
and combination of appliances or milking machines may be carried into practice
within a cow "byre.".
Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section of one of the new or improved milk
intercepting or receiving vessels a.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of one of the new or improved duplex coupling
tubes D, d, connected to the main pipes C to serve for two milk receptacles and
COWS.
Figures 4 and 5 are sectional side and edge views of the connecting four branch
coupling to which the tubes leading to the teat cups of each cow
attached. And
are
Figures 6 and 7 are a plan and edge view of another form of four branch
coupling analogous to that shown in Figures 4 and 5, but with the branches d³
radiating out more horizontally towards the different teats of the cow.
Figure 8 is an elevation showing one of the new horn shaped teat cups e, with
improved rubber or elastic washer e¹ on top for gripping the teat, shown in section
in Figure 9.
"
Referring to Figure 1 of these drawings, the improvements consist all as
follows: A large hollow tank or general milk receiving vessel A preferably of
cylindrical shape is placed on a portable wheeled trolly A' or it might be on
the ground level or in a recess below it in the dairy or other convenient part of
the farm " steading near where the animals are to be milked, and forms the
vacuum cylinder and general milk receiving vessel or reservoir combined, or it
might only be the vacuum vessel with intermediate portable milk receiving
vessels a for each cow or one vessel for every two cows. An ordinary air or suction
pump B, preferably operated direct by a hand wheel B' and crank arrangement,

page_text: 111
or a small motor, is erected at the side of or near this vessel A., and connected by
an air suction pipe B' to a branch A³ secured on the top of the vessel A, or the
pump may be directly attached to the vacuum vessel A when that was made
stationary to create a partial vacuum or suction within it preferably pulsating
regulated by a valve A with weighted lever or spring equivalent opening inwards
when the maximum vacuum was obtained, or this weighted lever may be placed
upon the portable parts a for the same purpose, and a glass gauge A would be
fitted on the vessel A or its connecting pipes or fittings to show the degree of.
vacuum within and a vertical strip of glass with graduated scale would be fitted
in a groove at A" in the side of the vessel A to show the quantity of milk
within; and the top of the vessel A would be fitted with a hinged or removable
tight jointed lid Ax, with rubber or other jointing material, for the washing
and cleaning out of the vessel, and be fitted with a tap and branch at A' at its
lower part for drawing off the milk. Or otherwise as when the vessel is placed
below the ground level the milk may be removed by putting pressure of air on the
top of the milk by the same pump B which produced the vacuum, by reversing
cocks and valves, the milk being forced up the branch from near the bottom of the
vessel, a tap being fitted on the branch. A leading to the suction or milk pipes
near the top of the tank in that case. From the branch A¹ or branches on this
tank or vessel A, a rubber or other pipe C₁is connected to a coupling C" on the
main longitudinal suction or joint suction and milk pipe C which is laid in a trough
preferably with removable covers for clensing purposes, below the ground level
through the “byre" or place where the cows are housed, close up to the division
posts S¹ between the stalls S and preferably below or in front of the udders of the
COWS. These pipes C are made in lengths of malleable iron or other metal and
have glass tubes c Figure 3, inserted or cemented in them, and are jointed at their
ends by butt joints and washers or collars of rubber in Tor other couplings C¹.
At intervals along the length of piping, that is, at each post S¹ between the stalls S,
these union joint coupling connections C" are fitted with vertical internally
screwed sockets and rubber annular hollow tight jointed plugs or sleeves Ca
Figure 3 and into which a close ended stem piece of piping D is inserted with
rose holes D in the sides of its lower end working tight up and down in the
stuffing lower sleeve piece C. The upper end of this moving joint piece D is
fitted with a rubber ferrule or ring packing C² and socket D2, on to which is
formed the lower socket end of a double branch metal stand tube d d shown in
Figure 3, one branch d for each cow, curving out to each stall S, and this branch D
may have a stop for regulating the distance each shall be pulled up or pushed
down. When pushed down the rose holes D' in the lower end of the branch
piece D would be down clear of its joint socket C2 and open to the suction in the
main suction or milk pipes.C c for either producing the vacuum or drawing off the
milk; but when this branch was not required and no cows to be milked in these
stalls S, this rose branch D D' would be pulled up into its closing rubber
socket C, and so entirely shut off these two branches d d to the suction or
milk pipes Cc. Another improvement consists in forming the open upper end
of each of these branches d Figure 3 of an angular or curved shape at d² for
jointing an india-rubber branch pipe d'or d¹ to, leading to the four joint coupling
metal pieces d³, d, for the four teats of each cow Figure 4, so that when this
rubber branch piece d", was allowed to fall or hang down from the open end of the
metal branches d they would automatically close the open eud at d² and maintain
the vacuum within the pipes without valves or cocks on these branches d, and
the hollow triangular metal part jointed to the other end of the rubber
tube would have the four small metal branches d³ leading from it, each with
their open ends similarly bevelled or curved at d in the same way as the first
branch leading to the whole, and fitted to the near end of small rubber tubes d
having their outer ends attached to the lower contracted or apex ends of the
conic teat receiving cups e, so that when any one of these would fall off, the
rubber connecting tube & would automatically close the open end of its branch d
09

page_text: at d² formed as described. The cups e for receiving and fitting on to the teats
are further made of horn or other unbreakable transparent substance so as to
see when the milk is flowing, and of an improved hollow curved conical form like
the short horn of a cow as shown in Figure 8, to bend or curve the teat in the
same manner as the calf's mouth does; and the upper lip of each horn is fitted
with an improved construction of double grooved or triple annular rimmed jointing
washer e of vulcanized rubber or equivalent material which makes a perfectly
tight joint to the cow's teat near the udder and to the wide end of the cup or
horn e as seen in section in this figure, and the weight of which when it falls
away assists its rubber tube to hermetically close at d the open end of its
metal branch, so that the vacuum is always maintained constant in the other
branches and cups in use without the use of taps or valves as heretofore required.
In operation the teats of each cow are simply placed in the horn cups e', e, as shown
in Figure 1, and the vacuum or suction caused by the pump B, in the milk
reservoir A draws the milk away from the cow as shown to the right at S' in
Figure 1 directly through the india-rubber branches and glass and metal main
pipe c, C, to the reservoir A. By these improvements leakage is reduced to a
minimum, and in this way all taps and valves may be dispensed with, the air
and milk in this arrangement being drawn off through the same main pipes Cc,
to the general milk receiving and vacuum tank A.
By another improved arrangement the main milk reservoir is made a suction
or vacuum vessel A alone and the milk is received into improved intercepting
portable vessels or pails a for isolating the milk from each cow as shown in
connection with the cows to the left at S³ in Figure 1, and detached to an
enlarged scale in Figure 2, placed between the stand branches d and the four
branch coupling ¹³, so as to isolate the milk of each cow. In this arrangement
the double stand branches d d, at each stall S leading from the main pipe C, c
lead by their rubber connecting branch d' into an inlet metal branch a connected
to the top of the improved local portable vessel a aud this branch is preferably
secured on to the top of a weighted cover a¹ Figure 2 over the opening at all
for withdrawing the milk, and washing this vessel out by, and the weight of the
cover a acting by a sharp rim or edge on its under side against a rubber jointing
washer a³, would hermetically seal the joint, so that the air only from the upper
part of the milk pail a, to produce a suction in it, would be drawn off to the
main vacuum vessel A, common to the whole connected to the air pump B. This
arrangement would make the pulsations of the air in the main vessel A acting in
each local milk receiving vessel a have a more steady suction in all these. Each
of these local milk and suction vessels a has another metal branch a projecting up
from the top a¹ with curved and angled open end at a for the attachment of the
single rubber connecting branch du leading to the four branched metal triangular
pipe piece d, d³, leading to the cups e for the teats of each cow, so that when each
tube d fell down or was removed from the teats of each cow, this branch would
automatically close the open end d of its metal branch a', as herein before
described in reference to the first arrangement. Each of these local milk and
suction vessels or pails a is fitted with a vertical strip of glass all on its one
side with divided index to show and indicate how much milk was drawn off at
each application from each cow, and each single or double vessel a is provided
with a handle at a or handles for removing it and emptying out the milk.
Before removing the vessel a the weighted lid a would be lifted off and its
rubber tube d folded down over its open metal branch d' of the stand pipe d
to close it; or when both cows of the connection branches were milked the stand
pipes d, d, with their common rose stem D, D¹, would be drawn up into the
stuffing box sleeve C' out of the suction pipe Cc, and so close its suction con-
nection with the vacuum vessel A, and maintain the vacuum in this and the
pipes C, c, for the other cows being milked.
In some cases the milk registering pails a might be placed between two cows,
and have branches at and d leading to the teats of each cow, as shown in Figure 2ª

page_text: in which case only one upright branch & would lead by the connections d¹ a³ to the
pail a and the single pail a have double branches a leading to the cows, preferably
in this case inserted through a rubber lid a² and with perforations D¹ in their lower
ends, for shutting of communication with the cows.
Instead of using the sliding socket piece D D', shown in Figure 3 for shutting
off communication with the pails a or tubes " to the cows, a rubber lined cock D³,
and hollow tube key D" with handle D above may be used, as shown in
Figure 34, with a branch D' communicating to the branches d', or d", so that
the turning of the handle D" would shut off communication through the branch D'
to either the tubes d' leading to the pail a or those d" leading to the cow.
Instead of laying the pipes C, c, in grooves or channels in the floor they might
be carried along the joists above, and have a suction branch led down each
stall post S', with branches leading to each milk vessel a.
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 we are
aware that it has been previously proposed to use in apparatus of the kind
hereinbefore described vacuum pipes, a reservior through which a vacuum is
maintained by a suction pump, and having means for regulating the amount of
vacuum, and we make no general claim to such arrangements, but what we
claim is :-
First. The system or mode of and arrangement and combination of appliances
or machines for the milking of cows or other like animals, comprising a main
vacuum or milk and vacuum pipe or pipes C, c, and reservoir A through which
a vacuum is maintained by a suction pump B, and with automatic acting vacuum
shutting off main and teat branches ", d, the milk being drawn off either into
the main vacuum reservior A or into intercepting suction isolating vessels or pails a,
all substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of application
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In a mechanical system of milking cows or other like animals, the
fitting and use at the union joint connections to the main vacuum or vacuum
and milk pipes, of vertical moving stem and stand tubes working fluid-tight, and
with a branch or branches leading therefrom, either to the udders of the cows
or to intercepting milk isolating vacuum vessels for the purpose of placing these
into or out of working connection with the main pipes and vacuum vessel and
pump, substantially as herein described in reference to and by way of application
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In a mechanical system of milking cows or other like animals, the
forming of the branch pipes leading from the T union couplings, or from the
milk isolating intercepting vessels, of an angular or curved shape for connecting
an india-rubber branch pipe leading to the teat connections, so as to automatically
shut off the vacuum when the teats are not in use, substantially as herein
described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth. In a mechanical system of milking cows or other like animals, the
forming of the metal branches to which the individual flexible branch tubes
are connected leading to each teat of an angular or curved shape at these connections
for the purpose of automatically shutting off the vacuum to each when the receiving
cup fell away from the teat, substantially as herein described in reference to and
by way of application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In a mechanical system of milking cows and other like animals the
forming of the teat cups of a hollow curved conical shape, like the horn of a cow,
of horn or other unbreakable transparent substance, substantially as herein described
in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying drawings.
Sixth. In a mechanical system of milking cows and other like animals, the fitting
to the upper lip of each horn or cup of a double grooved or annular rimmed jointing
washer of vulcanized rubber or equivalent material to form a fluid-tight joint,

page_text: substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Seventh. In a mechanical system of milking cows and other like animals, the
construction and use of a portable vacuum or vacuum and milk main receiver or
reservoir with safety relief valve, vacuum indicating gauge, and connecting fittings
in combination with an air pump, and service pipe or pipes, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 10th November 1891
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.