Patent ID: 8646411

Claim:
Apparatus for milking a dairy animal having a first pair of teats and a second pair of teats, the apparatus comprising: a first teat cup assembly for performing a milking process on the first pair of teats, the first teat cup assembly comprising; a first pair of teat cups, a first pair of liners, and each liner is disposed at least partially inside a corresponding teat cup to define a pulsation chamber therebetween, a first pair of pulse hoses, each pulse hose is in fluid communication with a corresponding pulsation chamber, and a first shut-off device in communication with the first pair of pulse hoses, the first shut-off device having an open position during the milking process and a closed position that interrupts the milking process; a second teat cup assembly for performing a milking process on the second pair of teat the second teat cup assembly comprising; a second pair of teat cups, a second pair of liners, and each liner is disposed at least partially inside a corresponding teat cup to define a pulsation chamber therebetween, a second pair of pulse hoses, and each pulse hose is in fluid communication with a corresponding pulsation chamber; a milk flow detection device that indicates whether the first shut-off device should be in the open position or closed position based on the quantity of milk flowing from the first teat cup assembly; and a second shut-off device having an open position during the milking process and a closed position that interrupts the milking process in response to the quantity of milk flowing from the second teat cup assembly.