Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

The milking tube section of a milking inflation has an elongated stem portion including a pair of circumferentially extending, axially spaced grooves in the outer surface near the lower end of the teat cup shell. A first groove is located adjacent a thicker part or externally supported part of the stem section and is arranged to permit substantial angular bending of the teat cup assembly relative to the stem portion for attachment to a cow's teat without substantial crimping which causes a reduction in the internal cross-section area of the flow passage extending through the milking tube. The second groove cooperates with the first groove to share deflective stresses applied on the teat cup assembly when bent at an angle for installation on a cow's teat. The second groove is spaced far enough away from the first groove to permit the teat cup assembly to be folded toward the stem portion to a folded over position where the stem portion is sufficiently kinked in the vicinity of the second groove to cause opposed portions of the inner wall of the milking tube section to crimp together and shut off flow through the flow passage and the teat cup assembly can be laid across the top of a milker claw in generally horizontal orientation.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim