Patent ID: 8074600

Claim:
A rotary parlor for automatic milking of animals, comprising: an annular rotary platform ( 2 ) adapted to form a support surface for the animals ( 1 ), driving means ( 9 ) for supplying a rotary motion to the platform ( 2 ), positioning means ( 4 , 6 ) for arranging the animals ( 1 ) in predetermined milking positions ( 3 ) on the platform ( 2 ), in which a longitudinal axis ( 1 a ) of the animals forms an angle greater than zero degrees to the direction of motion ( 1 b ) of the animals standing on the rotary platform ( 2 ), a radially-displaceable robot arm ( 13 ) adapted to attach teat cups ( 7 a ) to the teats of an animal ( 1 ) which has entered a milking position ( 3 ) on the platform ( 2 ), wherein the entire robot arm ( 13 ) is located in a working position ( 13 a ) vertically above or on the platform ( 2 ) when the robot arm ( 13 ) attaches the teat cups ( 7 a ) to the teats of the animals ( 1 ), and a transport device ( 14 ) comprising a rail member ( 14 a ) arranged at a higher level than the robot arm ( 13 ), a rail engaging element ( 13 d ) movably connected to the rail member ( 14 a ) in a hanging position, a vertical position adjusting mechanism ( 13 c ) connected to the rail engaging element ( 13 d ), an end of the robot arm being connected to the vertical position adjusting mechanism ( 13 c ) such that the robot arm ( 13 ) is arranged in a hanging position on the rail member ( 14 a ), wherein, the rail engaging element ( 13 d ) is adapted to be radially displaced between i) the working position ( 13 a ) at a first radial position inside an outer periphery ( 2 b ) of the platform ( 2 ), and ii) a resting position ( 13 b ) along the outer periphery ( 2 b ) of the platform ( 2 ), and a radial displacement of the rail engaging element ( 13 d ) between the working position and the resting position correspondingly radially displaces the vertical position adjusting mechanism ( 13 c ) and the robot arm ( 13 ) between i) the working position ( 13 a ) at the first radial position inside an outer periphery ( 2 b ) of the platform ( 2 ), and ii) the resting position ( 13 b ), wherein in the working position ( 13 a ) the robot arm ( 13 ) attaches the teat cups ( 7 a ) to an animal ( 1 ) standing in said milking position ( 3 ), and the entire robot arm is located entirely inside the outer periphery ( 2 b ) of the platform ( 2 ).