Sanitary backwashing system for automatic milking machines

Abstract

A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit and a source of vacuum, the system including a valve having a first port connected to the milking unit and a pair of second ports alternately connected to the first port, one of the second ports being connected to the source of vacuum; and a source of sanitizing fluid under pressure connected to the other of the second ports and the valve having a first position in which the valve connects the milking unit to the source of vacuum while blocking off the other of the second ports and a second position in which the valve connects the milking unit to the source of sanitizing fluid while blocking off the source of vacuum.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit, a source of vacuum and a milk line interconnecting the milking unit and the soruce of vacuum, comprising: A. a source of sanitisizing fluid;   B. a fluid control valve connected to the source of sanitizing fluid;   C. a source of air under pressure;   D. an air control valve connected to the source of air under pressure;   E. a sanitation line interconnecting the fluid control valve and the air control valve in parallel;   F. a three-way valve in the milk line connected to the sanitation line having a first position shutting off the sanitation line while connecting the milking unit to the source of vacuum, and a second position connecting the sanitation line to the milking unit while isolating the milking unit from the source of vacuum; and   G. means for successively placing the three-way valve in the first position, while closing the fluid control valve and the air control valve, positioning the three-way valve in its second position while opening the fluid control valve to flush sanitizing fluid through the milking unit with the air control valve closed, with the three-way valve in its second position closing the fluid control valve and opening the air control valve to blow sanitizing fluid from the milking unit.   
     
     
       2. The backwashing system of claim 1 including: H. a source of water; and   I. a water control valve connected to the source of water and to said sanitation line and operable by said placing means to open with the three-way valve in its second position and the fluid and air control valves closed to flush water through the milking unit subsequent to flushing with the sanitizing solution and prior to blowing air therethrough.   
     
     
       3. The backwashing system of claim 1 wherein said placing means includes a logic control operably connected to the fluid and air control valves for discriminately opening and closing said valves in timed sequence .Iadd.subsequent .Iaddend.to said positioning of the three-way valve in the second position. 
     
     
       4. The backwashing system of claim 1 including: H. an electrical system having a switch borne by the milking unit which closes only when the milking unit is disconnected from a cow, a source of electrical energy and an electrical circuit interconnecting said source of electrical energy, the switch and the placing means to power the placing means from the source of electrical energy upon disconnection of the milking unit from a cow.  .[.5. A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit, a source of vacuum and a milk line interconnecting the milking unit and the source of vacuum, comprising:   A. a valve having a first port connected to the milking unit through the milk line, a second port connected to the source of vacuum through the milk line and a third port and a valve member movable between a milking position interconnecting the first and second ports and sealing the third port and a cleansing position interconnecting the first and third ports and sealing the second port;   B. means connected to the third port for supplying a cleansing fluid to the third port; and   C. control means operably interconnecting the milking unit and the valve member for maintaining the valve member in the milking position when the milking unit is attached to an animal to be milked and for moving said valve member to the cleansing position upon detachment of the milking unit from an animal thereby sealing the milk line between the valve and the source of vacuum from communication with the milking unit when the milking unit is detached from an animal..]. .[.6. The backwashing system of claim 5 wherein the control means delays movement of the valve member to the milking position upon initiation of attachment to an animal to be milked to insure said sealing of the milk line between the valve and the source of vacuum during the attachment process..]. .[.7. The backwashing system of claim 5 including means connected to the third port for supplying a drying agent to said third port and wherein the control means is operably connected to the cleansing fluid supplying means and to the drying agent supplying means and is operable upon movement of the valve member to the cleansing position to direct cleansing fluid and drying agent in sequence from their respective supplying means through the valve, along the milk   
     
     
        line to the milking unit..]. 8. The backwashing system of claim .[.7.]. .Iadd.15 .Iaddend.wherein the cleaning fluid is a sanitizing solution, the drying agent is air under pressure and the backwashing system includes means connected to the third port for supplying water to the third port and said control means is operably connected to said water supplying means to direct water from the water supplying means to the third port in sequence between said direction of the cleansing fluid and direction of the drying agent. .Iadd. 9. A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit and a source of vacuum, comprising in combination: a. a source of sanitizing fluid;   b. a fluid control valve connected to the source of sanitizing fluid;   c. a source of air under pressure;   d. an air control valve connected to the source of air under pressure;   e. a sanitation line interconnecting the fluid control valve and the air control valve in parallel;   f. valve means having a first port coupled to the milking unit, having a second port coupled to the source of vacuum, and having a third port coupled to said sanitation line, said valve means being adapted to assume a first state for coupling said first and second ports to one another to connect the milking unit to the source of vacuum while isolating said third port from said first and second ports, said valve means also being adapted to assume a second state for coupling said first and third ports to one another to connect said sanitation line to the milking unit while isolating said second port from said first and third ports; and   g. control means for successively causing said valve means to assume its first state while closing said fluid control valve and said air control valve, causing said valve means to assume its second state while opening said fluid control valve to flush sanitizing fluid through the milking unit with said air control valve closed, and subsequently closing said fluid control valve and opening said air control valve to blow sanitizing fluid from the milking unit while maintaining said valve means in its   
     
     
        second state. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10.  A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit and a source of vacuum, comprising in combination: a. a source of cleansing fluid;   b. a source of air under pressure;   c. valve means having a first port coupled to the milking unit, having a second port coupled to the source of vacuum, having a third port coupled to said source of cleansing fluid, and having a fourth port coupled to said source of air under pressure, said valve means being adapted to assume a first state for coupling said first and second ports to one another to connect the milking unit to the source of vacuum while isolating said third and fourth ports from said first and second ports, said valve means being adapted to assume a second state for coupling said first and third ports to one another to connect said source of cleansing fluid to the milking unit while isolating said second and fourth ports from said first and third ports, and said valve means being adapted to assume a third state for coupling said first and fourth ports to one another to connect said source of air under pressure to the milking unit while isolating said second and third ports from said first and fourth ports; and   d. control means for successively causing said valve means to assume its first state for milking an animal, causing said valve means to assume its second state for flushing cleansing fluid through the milking unit, and subsequently causing said valve means to assume its third state to blow cleansing fluid from the milking unit. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A sanitary backwashing system as recited by claims 9 or 10 wherein said valve means is pneumatically actuated and wherein said control means selectively supplies pneumatic pressure to said valve means for determining the state assumed thereby. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit and a source of vacuum, comprising in combination:   a. a source of cleansing fluid;   b. a fluid control valve connected to the source of cleansing fluid;   c. a source of air under pressure;   d. a sanitation line coupling the fluid control valve and the source of air under pressure in parallel;   e. valve means having a first port coupled to the milking unit, having a second port coupled to the source of vacuum, and having a third port coupled to said sanitation line, said valve means being adapted to assume a first state for coupling said first and second ports to one another to connect the milking unit to the source of vacuum while isolating said third port from said first and second ports, said valve means also being adapted to assume a second state for coupling said first and third ports to one another to connect said sanitation line to the milking unit while isolating said second port from said first and third ports; and   f. control means for successively causing said valve means to assume its first state while closing said fluid control valve, causing said valve means to assume its second state while opening said fluid control valve to flush cleansing fluid through the milking unit, and subsequently closing said fluid control valve for allowing said source of air under pressure to blow cleansing fluid from the milking unit while maintaining said valve   
     
     
        means in its second state. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13.  A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit and a source of vacuum, comprising in combination: a. valve means having a first port coupled to the milking unit, having a second port coupled to the source of vacuum, and having a third port, said valve means being adapted to assume a first state for coupling said first and second ports to one another to connect the milking unit to the source of vacuum while isolating said third port from said first and second ports, said valve means also being adapted to assume a second state for coupling said first and third ports to one another while isolating said second port from said first and third ports;   b. means connected to the third port for supplying a cleansing fluid to the third port;   c. switch means for automatically indicating whether the milking unit is attached to an animal to be milked; and   d. control means responsive to said switch means for maintaining said valve means in said first state when the milking unit is attached to an animal to be milked, said control means causing said valve means to assume its second state upon detachment of the milking unit from an animal thereby sealing the source of vacuum from communication with the milking unit when the milking unit is detached from an animal. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. A sanitary backwashing system for an automatic milking machine having a milking unit, a source of vacuum and a milk line interconnecting the milking unit and the source of vacuum, comprising:   A. a valve having a first port connected to the milking unit through the milk line, a second port connected to the source of vacuum through the milk line and a third port and a valve member movable between a milking position interconnecting the first and second ports and sealing the third port and a cleansing position interconnecting the first and third ports and sealing the second port;   B. means connected to the third port for supplying a cleansing fluid to the third port;   C. means connected to the third port for supplying a drying agent to said third port; and   D. control means operably interconnecting the milking unit and the valve member for maintaining the valve member in the milking position when the milking unit is attached to an animal to be milked and for moving said valve member to the cleansing position upon detachment of the milking unit from an animal thereby sealing the milk line between the valve and the source of vacuum from communication with the milking unit when the milking unit is detached from an animal, said control means being operably connected to the cleansing fluid supplying means and to the drying agent supplying means and operable upon movement of the valve member to the cleansing position to direct cleansing fluid and drying agent in sequence from their respective supplying means through the valve, along the milk line to the milking unit. .Iaddend.