IE20180073A1

IE20180073A1 - A milking parlour

Info

Publication number: IE20180073A1
Application number: IE20180073A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Cashman William
Original assignee: Cashman William
Priority date: 2017-04-12
Filing date: 2018-04-12
Publication date: 2018-10-17
Also published as: GB2563481A; IES20180072A2; IE87482B1; GB2563481B; IES86919B2; GB201806048D0

Abstract

A milking parlour comprises a plurality of milking stations with a manger (6) mounted at each milking station. A feeder device (7) is mounted above the manger (6). The feeder device (7) has a feed hopper (10) for reception and storage of animal feed. An outlet (11) of the feed hopper (10) discharges animal feed from the feed hopper (10) to the manger (6). Dispensing means (14) is provided to control dispensing of animal feed from the feed hopper (10) through the outlet (11) to the manger (6). A remote controller (15) for the dispensing means (14) has a transmitter (16) for transmitting a radio control signal to an associated receiver (17) connected to the feeder device dispensing means (14) to control operation of the feeder device dispensing means (14). <Figure 2>

Description

"A Milking Parlour" Introduction This invention relates to a milking parlour.

Summary of the invention According to the invention there is provided a milking parlour comprising a plurality of milking stations, a manger mounted at each milking station, a feeder device mounted above the manger, the feeder device having a feed hopper for reception and storage of animal feed, the feed hopper having an outlet for discharge of animal feed from the feed hopper to the manger, dispensing means to control dispensing of animal feed from the feed hopper through the outlet to the manger, a remote controller for the dispensing means, said remote controller having a transmitter for transmitting a radio control signal to an associated receiver connected to the feeder device dispensing means to control operation of the feeder device dispensing means.

In one embodiment of the invention each remote controller and the associated receiver connected to the dispensing means are paired such that the controller only actuates the associated receiver.

In another embodiment of the invention the dispensing means comprises a dispensing chute at the outlet of the feed hopper which directs animal feed from the feed hopper to the manger and a discharge valve operable to close the outlet, said discharge valve being connected to the receiver for operation by the remote controller.

In another embodiment of the invention the dispensing means comprises a discharge auger mounted at the outlet with a drive motor for the discharge auger connected to the receiver for operation by the remote controller.

In another embodiment of the invention each transmitter is operable for communication with all of the receivers. -2Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view illustration of a milking parlour according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a schematic elevational view illustration of a feeder device incorporated in the milking parlour.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a milking parlour according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The milking parlour 1 has a plurality of milking stations or stalls 2 which in this case are arranged in two rows 3, 4 on either side of a central aisle or pit 5. At an inner end of each stall 2 milking machines are provided (not shown) in the usual way for connection to each cow for milking cows in the stalls 2 in conventional fashion. A manger 6 is provided at an outer end of each stall 2 to allow a cow to feed while in the stall 2. At each stall 2 a feeder device 7 is mounted above the manger 6 to deliver a required feed to the manger 6 for consumption by the cow in the associated stall 2.

Each feeder device 7 has a feed hopper 10 for reception and storage of animal feed. At a lower end of the hopper 10 an outlet 11 communicates with a discharge chute 12 for dispensing animal feed from the feed hopper 10 to the manger 6. Dispensing means 14 is provided at the outlet 11 for controlling the dispensing of animal feed to the manger 6. The dispensing means 14 may comprise either a discharge valve or a discharge auger or any other suitable means to control the discharge of animal feed from the feed hopper 10 to the manger 6.

A remote controller 15, which can conveniently be mounted in the pit 5, is operably connected to the dispensing means 14 to control the discharge of animal feed from the feed hopper 10 to the manger 6. The controller 15 has a transmitter 16 for -3transmitting a radio signal to an associated receiver 17 which is operably connected to the dispensing means 14 on the feeder device 7 to control operation of the dispensing means 14.

It will be noted that each transmitter 16 and the associated receiver 17 connected to the feed hopper dispensing means 14 are paired such that each controller 15 only actuates the associated receiver 17 and dispensing means 14 in the stall 2 on which they are mounted.

In operation, cows are herded into each stall 2 and connected to the milking machine for milking the cows. An operator moving through the pit 5 can then operate each feeder device 7 by means of the associated controller 15 to deliver the required feed material from the feed hopper 10 to the manger 6 for the cow in the stall 2.

It will be noted that each transmitter 16 and receiver 17 are paired to each other, that is each specific transmitter 16 will only work with a specific paired receiver 17. The transmitter 16 can be fitted to any controller used to control the feeders 7. The receiver 16 can be fitted to the feeders 7 to control valves or motors of the dispensing means 14 which regulates the dispensing of feed from the associated feed hopper 10 to the manger 6.

It is envisaged that in another embodiment of the invention each transmitter 16, or at least one of the transmitters 16, could include an operating mode in which the transmitter 16 is capable of communicating with all of the receivers 17 for discharging animal feed from all of the feed hoppers 10 simultaneously.

In another variation a single transmitter 16 may be provided for communication with all of the receivers 17 for operation of all the feed dispensers 14.

In the specification the terms "comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" or any variation thereof and the terms "include, includes, included and including" or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa. -4The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the amended claims.

Claims

1. CLA1MS

1. A milking parlour comprising a plurality of milking stations, a manger mounted at each milking station, a feeder device mounted above the manger, the feeder device having a feed hopper for reception and storage of animal feed, the feed hopper having an outlet for discharge of animal feed from the feed hopper to the manger, dispensing means to control dispensing of animal feed from the feed hopper through the outlet to the manger, a remote controller for the dispensing means, said remote controller having a transmitter for transmitting a radio control signal to an associated receiver connected to the feeder device dispensing means to control operation of the feeder device dispensing means.

2. The milking parlour as claimed in claim 1 wherein each remote controller and the associated receiver connected to the dispensing means are paired such that the controller only actuates the associated receiver.

3. The milking parlour as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the dispensing means comprises a dispensing chute at the outlet of the feed hopper which directs animal feed from the feed hopper to the manger and a discharge valve operable to close the outlet, said discharge valve being connected to the receiver for operation by the remote controller.

4. The milking parlour as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dispensing means comprises a discharge auger mounted at the outlet with a drive motor for the discharge auger connected to the receiver for operation by the remote controller.

5. The milking parlour as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each transmitter is operable for communication with all of the receivers.