Pen having high cow flow for automated milking

• US 5,140,942 A
• Filed: 11/13/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flocchini, Andrew J.
• Original Assignee: Flocchini, Andrew J.
• Inventors: Flocchini, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US07/612,340
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 119/14.02, 119/14.03, 119/14.04, 119/27
• US Class Current: 119/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/12 Milking stations

Abstract

In a milking barn having milking stalls disposed at an angle to the cow entry-exit path, an improved stall configuration is disclosed having parallel entry and exit paths for simultaneous entry and exit by individual cows. Each angularly disposed milking pen includes an overlying loading pen. The path between the loading pen and the milking pen spans across both the entrance and exit paths. The entrance path passes immediately adjacent the loading pen; a cow passing along the entrance path is diverted into and received into the loading pin by an open loading gate and confined by that same gate to the loading pen upon entrance. The exit path passes immediately adjacent the milking pens; a cow exiting from the milking pens along the exit path is permitted to pass to the exit path by an open milking pen gate. The entrance and exit paths in running parallel one to another are divided by overlapping gate matrices. A loading pen connects across the entrance and exit path to the milking pen by a temporarily defined crossing path defined by the open loading gate, the opened overlapping gates, and the opened milking gate. A backing wall backs the cow from the loading pen to the milking pen where the cow is captured for attachment of the teat cups to the bag. Only when such automated backing occurs is either the exit path or entrance path blocked; at all other times the paths are opened for the self-herding entrance and exit of cows.

Claims

1. In a milking barn wherein milking stalls are disposed at an angle to a cow entrance/exit path, an improved stall configuration comprising:

an entrance path;

a plurality of holding pens disposed in side-by-side relation angularly diverging from said entrance path for receiving and holding cows to be milked;

an exit path parallel to said entrance path;

a corresponding plurality of milking stalls to each said holding stalls, said milking stalls longitudinally aligned for rear loading, one said milking stall behind each said holding stall for permitting a cow backed from said holding stall to be received in said milking stall along a straight path;

a holding stall gate disposed for confining a received animal in said each holding stall in the closed position and blocking said entrance path in the open position to divert a cow to said holding stall;

a milking stall gate configured to confine a cow in each said milking stall in the closed position and to extend across said exit path in the opened position to permit a milked cow to pass from said milking stall to said exit path;

and second overlapping gates for dividing said entrance path and said exit path in the overlapped position;

one of said gates extending across the entrance path and one of said gates extending across the exit path to form backing pen sidewalls in the open position to allow a cow to be backed from said holding pen to said milking pen.

2. The invention of claim 1 and further including:

a cow return path, said path disposed for leading unmilked animals from an exit of said entrance path to the entrance of said entrance path to provide a return loop for unmilked animals.

3. The invention of claim 1 and further including at least three holding stalls and at least three milking stalls.

4. A process of milking a herd of animals comprising the steps of:

providing an entrance path;

providing a plurality of holding pens disposed in side-by-side relation angularly diverging from said entrance path for receiving and holding cows to be milked;

providing an exit path parallel to and side-by-side to said entrance path;

providing a corresponding plurality of milking stalls longitudinally aligned to each said holding stalls, each said milkinq stall behind a corresponding holding stall for permitting a cow to be backed from said holding stall to said milking stall along a straight path across said entrance and exit paths;

providing a holding stall gate for holding an animal in said holding stall in the closed position and extending across said entrance path for diverting an animal into said holding stall in the open position;

providing a milking stall gate for holding an animal in said milking stall in the closed position and for extending across said exit path in the open position for defining an exit path for an animal in the open position;

providing first and second overlapping gates dividing said entrance path from said exit path, said respective first and second gates dividing said paths in the closed positions and defining side walls to a backing path between said holding pen and said milking pen in the open position;

sequentially opening and closing holding pen gates sequentially for the loading of said holding pens;

sequentially opening said holding pen gates, said milking pen gates and said first and second gates for permitting an animal in said holding pen to be backed from said holding pen to said milking pen across said entrance and exit paths; and

,

sequentially opening said milking pen gates to discharge to said exit path milked animals from said milking pens.

5. The process of claim 4 and wherein the step of sequentially opening and closing said holding pen gates and the step of sequentially opening said holding pen gates, said milking pen gates and said first and second gates occur simultaneously.

6. The process of claim 4 and wherein the step of sequentially opening and closing said holding pen gates and opening and closing said milking pen gates occurs simultaneously.

7. The process of claim 4 and wherein said step of opening and closing said holding pen gates, said milking pen gates and said first and second gates for permitting an animal in said holding pen to be backed from said holding pen to said milking pen across said entrance and exit path and said opening and closing of said milking pen gates occurs simultaneously.