Arrangement of milking box stalls

Abstract

A system includes an equipment portion and a plurality of milking box stalls arranged adjacent to the equipment portion. Each of the milking box stalls is of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock. The system further includes a robotic attacher housed in the equipment portion and configured to service each of the plurality of milking box stalls at different times. The robotic attacher has a gripping portion with a spray nozzle. The gripping portion is operable to rotate around a longitudinal axis such that during a milking operation the spray nozzle is positioned on the bottom of the gripping portion, and after the milking operation the spray nozzle is positioned on the top of the gripping portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 an equipment portion;   a plurality of milking box stalls arranged adjacent to the equipment portion, each of the milking box stalls of a size sufficient to accommodate a dairy livestock; and   a robotic attacher housed in the equipment portion and configured to service each of the plurality of milking box stalls at different times;   wherein the robotic attacher comprises a gripping portion having a spray nozzle, and the gripping portion is operable to rotate around a longitudinal axis such that during a milking operation the spray nozzle is positioned on the bottom of the gripping portion, and after the milking operation the spray nozzle is positioned on the top of the gripping portion.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the equipment portion and the milking box stalls define a first milking box stall cluster, and the system comprises a second milking box cluster comprising a plurality of milking box stalls serviced by a second robotic attacher. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic attacher:
 extends, during a first time period, between the rear legs of a first dairy livestock located in a first milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the first dairy livestock; and   extends, during a second time period, between the rear legs of a second dairy livestock located in a second milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the second dairy livestock.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic attacher moves between a first milking box stall and a second milking box stall in order to service both stalls, the movement comprising one or more of:
 pivoting between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall;   moving laterally between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall; and   moving forward and backward between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic attacher is further configured to service a third milking box stall. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the robotic attacher:
 extends, during a first time period, between the rear legs of the first dairy livestock located in the first milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the dairy livestock;   extends, during a second time period, between the rear legs of the second dairy livestock located in the second milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the second dairy livestock; and   extends, during a third time period, between the rear legs of a third dairy livestock located in the third milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the third dairy livestock.   
     
     
         7 . A method for performing milking operations, comprising:
 extending, during a first time period, a robotic attacher between the rear legs of a first dairy livestock located in a first milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the first dairy livestock;   moving the robotic attacher from the first milking box stall to a second box stall; and   extending, during a second time period, the robotic attacher between the rear legs of a second dairy livestock located in the second milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the second dairy livestock   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second milking box stall faces the same direction as the first milking box stall. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the robotic attacher comprises a gripping portion having a spray nozzle, and the gripping portion is operable to rotate around a longitudinal axis such that during a milking operation the spray nozzle is positioned on the bottom of the gripping portion, and after the milking operation the spray nozzle is positioned on the top of the gripping portion. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein moving the robotic attacher comprises one or more of:
 pivoting between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall;   moving laterally between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall; and   moving forward and backward between the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 moving the robotic attacher from either of the first milking box stall or the second milking box stall to a third milking box stall; and   extending, during a third time period, the robotic attacher between the rear legs of a third dairy livestock located in a third milking box stall in order to attach milking equipment to the third dairy livestock, wherein the third milking box stall faces a different direction than at least one of the first milking box stall and the second milking box stall.