Support arm assembly and milking parlour

• US 10,455,803 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delavan Limited (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delavan Limited (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hamerton, Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Monica L
• Application Number:
  US15/519,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20170223919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/017 Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/0175 Attaching of clusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/12 Milking stations

Abstract

A support arm assembly for milking equipment is disclosed which includes a pivotable support arm and a stationary arm suspension configured to support the pivotable support arm. The pivotable support arm includes an elongated arm member configured to support a milking cluster of the milking equipment at a distal end portion thereof. The elongated arm member is pivotable in a first direction and an opposite second direction in a substantially horizontal plane. The support arm assembly also includes a holding device configured to maintain the elongated arm member in a first pivotal position when the elongated arm member is subjected to a pivotal force smaller than a threshold force. Further a milking parlor is disclosed.

Claims

1. A support arm assembly (2) for milking equipment, the support arm assembly (2) comprising:

a pivotable support arm (6) comprising

a first pivot member (12), and

an elongated arm member (14) having a distal end portion (24) and a proximal end portion (26), the elongated arm member (14) being configured to support a milking cluster (28) of the milking equipment at the distal end portion (24), the first pivot member (12) being connected to the proximal end portion (26);

a stationary arm suspension (8) configured to support the pivotable support arm (6), the stationary arm suspension (8) comprising a second pivot member (16), the first pivot member (12) and the second pivot member (16) interacting to permit the distal end portion (24) of the elongated arm member (14) to be pivoted in a first direction (18) and an opposite second direction (20) in a substantially horizontal plane; and

a holding device (36) configured to maintain the elongated arm member (14) in a first pivotal position when the elongated arm member (14) is subjected to a pivotal force smaller than a first pivotal position threshold force in the first direction (18) or the second direction (20) and to prevent the elongated arm member (14) from being pivoted beyond the first pivotal position in the first direction (18).

2. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein the elongated arm member (14) is only able to be pivoted from the first direction (18) to the second direction 20.

3. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein the holding device comprises a stop mechanism (54) connected to the pivotable support arm (6) and a stop element (56) connected to the stationary arm suspension (8), the stop mechanism (54) being configured to interact with the stop element (56).

4. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 3, wherein the stop mechanism (54) comprises a first abutment part (66) associated with the first pivotal position and a second abutment part (68) associated with a second pivotal position.

5. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 4, wherein the first and second abutment parts (66, 68) are individually positionable along the first and second directions (18, 20).

6. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 3, wherein the holding device (36) comprises a tension spring (100) connected to the pivotable support arm (6) and the stationary arm suspension (8),

the stop mechanism (54) abuts against the stop element (56) in the first pivotal position,

the tension spring (100) biases the pivotable support arm (6) in the first direction (18), and

a biasing force provided by the tension spring (100) in the first direction (18) corresponds to the threshold force.

7. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein the holding device (36) is configured to release the elongated arm member (14) from the first pivotal position when the elongated arm member (14) is subjected to a pivotal force higher than the threshold force in the second direction (20).

8. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein the holding device (36) comprises a first holding element (38) and a second holding element (40), the first holding element (38) being connected to one of the pivotable support arm (6) and the stationary arm suspension (8) and comprising a magnet member (42), the second holding element (40) being connected to the other of the pivotable support arm (6) and the stationary arm suspension (8) and comprising a magnetic material member (44),

the magnetic member abuts against the magnetic material member (44) in the first pivotal position, and

an attraction force between the magnet member (42) and the magnetic material member (44) corresponds to the threshold force.

9. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein the holding device (36) comprises a first holding element (38) and a second holding element (40), the first holding element (38) being connected to one of the pivotable support arm (6) and the stationary arm suspension (8) and comprising a resilient member (80), the second holding element (40) being connected to the other of the pivotable support arm (6) and the stationary arm suspension (8) and comprising an engagement member (82),

the resilient member (80) engages with the engagement member (82) or the engagement member (82) engages with the resilient member (80) in the first pivotal position, and

an engaging force between the resilient member (80) and the engagement member (82) corresponds to the threshold force.

10. The support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein the holding device (36) further prevents the elongated arm member (14) from being pivoted beyond a second pivotal position in the second direction (20), and

the holding device (36) is configured to maintain the elongated arm member (14) in the second pivotal position when the elongated arm member (14) is subjected to a pivotal force in the first direction (18) smaller than a second pivotal position threshold force, the second pivotal position threshold force being a force at which the holding device (36) releases the elongated arm member (14) from the second pivotal position.

11. A milking parlor (50) comprising:

milking equipment;

a milking pit (114);

a first stalling system (122) configured to hold at least one animal during milking at a first side (116) of the milking pit (114);

a second stalling system (124) configured to hold at least one animal at an opposite second side (118) of the milking pit (114);

a supporting member (120) disposed centrally in the milking pit (114); and

the support arm assembly (2) according to claim 1,

wherein the stationary arm suspension (8) is disposed centrally in the milking pit (114) with the second pivot member (16) connected to the supporting member (120).

12. The milking parlor (50) according to claim 11, wherein the holding device (36) of the support arm assembly (2) comprises a stop mechanism (54) connected to the pivotable support arm (6) and a stop element (56) connected to the stationary arm suspension (8), the stop mechanism (54) being configured to interact with the stop element (56), the stop mechanism (54) comprising a first abutment part (66) associated with the first pivotal position and a second abutment part (68) associated with a second pivotal position,

the first and second stalling systems (122, 124) are herringbone stalling systems, and

the first and second abutment parts (66, 68) are positioned to provide an angle (a) within a range of 90-150 degrees between the first and second pivotal positions.

13. The milking parlor (50) according to claim 12, wherein the first and second abutment parts (66, 68) are individually positionable along the first and second directions (18, 20).

14. The milking parlor (50) according to claim 11, wherein the holding device (36) of the support arm assembly (2) comprises a stop mechanism (54) connected to the pivotable support arm (6) and a stop element (56) connected to the stationary arm suspension (8), the stop mechanism (54) being configured to interact with the stop element (56), the stop mechanism (54) comprising a first abutment part (66) associated with the first pivotal position and a second abutment part (68) associated with a second pivotal position,

the first and second stalling systems (122, 124) are parallel stalling systems, and

the first and second abutment parts (66, 68) are positioned to provide an angle (a) of approximately 180 degrees between the first and second pivotal positions.

15. The milking parlor (50) according to claim 14, wherein the first and second abutment parts (66, 68) are individually positionable along the first and second directions (18, 20).

16. A support arm assembly (2) for milking equipment, the support arm assembly (2) comprising:

a pivotable support arm (6) comprising

a first pivot member (12), and

an elongated arm member (14) having a distal end portion (24) and a proximal end portion (26), the elongated arm member (14) being configured to support a milking cluster (28) of the milking equipment at the distal end portion (24), the first pivot member (12) being connected to the proximal end portion (26);

a stationary arm suspension (8) configured to support the pivotable support arm (6), the stationary arm suspension (8) comprising a second pivot member (16), the first pivot member (12) and the second pivot member (16) interacting to permit the distal end portion (24) of the elongated arm member (14) to be pivoted in a first direction (18) and an opposite second direction (20) in a substantially horizontal plane; and

a holding device (36) configured to maintain the elongated arm member (14) in a first pivotal position when the elongated arm member (14) is subjected to a pivotal force larger than a threshold force in the first direction (18) such that the elongated arm member (14) is securely positioned in the first pivotal position.