Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for machine milking utilizing milking cups the internal spaces of which are defined by teat rubbers for receiving the teats of an animal the inner spaces of the teat rubbers are connected via a duct and a milk collecting chamber to a source of partial vacuum while the teat rubbers are externally subjected to periodically varying pressure in order to produce periodic opening and collapsing of the teat rubber during respective suction and relaxation pulses of said periodically varying pressure in order to effect milking. A device including a valve member is provided in the duct between the teat rubbers and the source of partial vacuum, in particular in a wall of the milk collecting chamber and means are provided for controlling the position of this valve member in dependence on the actual quantity of milk flowing so as to define an air inlet for introducing air into the duct whereby to regulate the vacuum applied to the teats in a predeterminable inverse relationship to the flow of milk. In a first embodiment the air introduced into the milk collecting chamber assists in controlling the position of the valve member and the valve member regulates the cross-section of the flow outlet from the milk collecting chamber. In a second embodiment the air introduced into the milk collecting chamber directly varies the vacuum prevailing therein.

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First Claim