Patent ID: 7021239

Claim:
A milking claw for a dairy animal having a backbone defining an axially extending longitudinal direction, and an udder having four teats comprising a front pair of laterally spaced teats and a rear pair of laterally spaced teats, said claw having a top having four inlets directing incoming milk flow into said claw respectively from said four teats, said claw having a bottom having an outlet subject to vacuum for drawing milk therefrom, said claw lying along a central longitudinal axis extending between the animal's legs and generally parallel to said backbone, said inlets comprising a front pair of first and second inlets laterally spaced on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis and receiving milk from said front pair of teats and directing such milk rearwardly into said claw on laterally opposite sides of said longitudinal axis, and a rear pair of third and fourth inlets laterally spaced on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis and receiving milk from said rear pair of teats and directing such milk forwardly into said claw on laterally opposite sides of said longitudinal axis, said claw top having a first opening from which said first inlet extends forwardly, said claw top having a second opening from which said second inlet extends forwardly, said claw top having a third opening from which said third inlet extends rearwardly, said claw top having a fourth opening from which said fourth inlet extends rearwardly, said first and third openings being on a first lateral side of said longitudinal axis, said second and fourth openings being on a second lateral side of said longitudinal axis, said first opening introducing milk flow into said claw along a first rearwardly directed milk flow path traversing rearwardly of said third opening, said second opening introducing milk flow into said claw along a second rearwardly directed milk flow path traversing rearwardly of said fourth opening, said third opening introducing milk flow into said claw along a third forwardly directed milk flow path traversing forwardly of said first opening, said fourth opening introducing milk flow into said claw along a fourth forwardly directed milk flow path traversing forwardly of said second opening, said first and third milk flow paths being nonintersecting such that milk flowing from said first opening along said first milk flow path does not intersect milk flowing from said third opening along said third milk flow path, said second and fourth milk flow paths being nonintersecting such that milk flowing from said second opening along said second milk flow path does not intersect milk flowing from said fourth opening along said fourth milk flow path.