Patent ID: 7578260

Claim:
A milking liner for an automated milking machine having a shell; the milking machine periodically subjecting the liner to a vacuum milking condition; the milking liner comprising: a barrel having a sidewall with an upper end and a lower end; the barrel sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface; the barrel having uncollapsed and collapsed conditions; the barrel having a longitudinal axis; the barrel defining at least three parallel channels open to the inner surface of the barrel; the configuration of the sidewall of the barrel and the channels causing the barrel to uniformly collapse when the barrel is subjected to a vacuum milking condition; a short milk tube connected to the lower end of the barrel; the short milk tube having a longitudinal length; the short milk tube including a plurality of longitudinal ribs; and a vent plug disposed through a portion of the short milk tube; at least one of the longitudinal ribs having an end that is split into a pair of spaced arms that at least partially surround the vent plug.