BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of milking machine systems and more particularly concerns a system for providing a sanitizing flush of such milking machine.

2. Description of Prior Art

Maintenance of high levels of sanitation in milking of cows is important both for the quality of the milk obtained and for the health of the animals involved. With regard to the health of the cows a major problem is the wide incidence of mastitis, a disease which seriously degrades productivity of many milking herds. The present-day desire for total automation, pushing more and more cows through the barn, together with the indifference to health and longevity of individual animals, may actually reduce monetary return for the dairyman by perpetuating and increasing the costly mastitis disease.

It has been shown that mastitis is spread during milking, not only from quarter to quarter but also from cow to cow. Thus, sanitizing solutions are desirably applied to the milking machines and may also be applied to the cows. Systems presently in use are manually controlled. They are not automatic, not adequately timed, difficult and relatively time consuming to operate, and not commercially successful.

Electrical timing devices may be employed for control of a valve but such electrical apparatus is not desirable in the environment of the milking machine since it introduces insulation problems, shock hazards and added expense of installation and maintenance.

For timing of an operation by means of bleeding of a pressure chamber, small capillary-type restrictive orifices or passages have been employed to provide a restriction of the bleeding flow sufficient to obtain a desired delay interval. Small diameter capillary-type passages are difficult and costly to produce with adequate repeatability and precision of operation and further, are readily subject to malfunction because the smaller the passage, the more readily it is obstructed by foreign matter in the solution being handled.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for the flushing of a milking machine with improved efficiency, reliability and control, while eliminating or minimizing problems present in other sanitizing systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In carrying out principles of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof there is provided a sanitizing system for use with a cow milking machine system having a teat cup, a milk collection line and a flexible milk line detachably connected to the milk collection line. The sanitizing system includes a source of sanitizing solution, a sanitizing solution line, and valve means connected with the sanitizing line and adapted to be detachably connected to the flexible milk line for providing a timed flow of the sanitizing solution through the flexible milk line and teat cup. The valve means includes means for draining the flexible milk line after the timed flow of sanitizing solution. A valve closure is movable between flush and drain positions under control of a pressure controlled operator of which the controlling pressure is bled via a long and circuitous large cross-sectional area bleed conduit. More specifically, the valve cycle is initiated by a plunger that opens a pilot valve to pressurize a piston cylinder, causing its piston to drive a valve poppet so as to close the valve drain port and then open the input port. The initiating plunger is formed with a long, large cross-section conduit wound in a helical path about its periphery, communicating with the piston cylinder pressure to provide a slow bleed thereof to retard spring-urged return of the valve poppet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a milking machine connected with a flushing system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the flush valve of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the valve plunger showing the circuitous helical groove and the sealing sleeves therefor;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the valve as it moves from drain position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the valve in flush position; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the valve in bleed position as it moves from flush position toward drain position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The flushing system of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with widely employed conventional milking machine systems. Details of one such system are described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,467 for Cow Milking Machine System and Vacuum Regulator Incorporated Therein. Briefly, such a milking machine system includes a number of milking stations spaced along a common vacuum milk collection line 26 as partly illustrated in FIG. 1. Each station comprises a plurality of teat cups 10, 12, 14 and 16 connected with a common claw 18. Claw 18 is connected with a flexible milk line 20 which, in turn, is adapted to be detachably connected by a connector element 22 to an adjacent one of a plurality of mating detachable connector fittings 24, 24a on the vacuum milk connection line 26. One end of line 26 is connected to a suitable source of vacuum (not shown). Claw 18 is also connected via lines 28 and 29 to a pulsator 30 which repetitively varies the pressure of the teat cup upon the teat. Unused and unconnected fittings 24, 24a are automatically capped when not in use.

For milking of a cow, teat cups 10 through 16 are connected to the cow and the quick-disconnect fitting 22 is connected to fitting 24 of the milk line. After milking, the teat cups are disconnected from the cow, flexible milk line 20 is engaged upon and hung from a raised hook 32 and fitting 22, at the end of the milk line 20, is connected to a mating fitting 34 (FIG. 2) on a flush valve 36. It will be readily appreciated that many different types of quick-disconnect fittings well known to those skilled in the art may be employed as deemed necessary or convenient. In the exemplary fitting illustrated herein, the flush valve fittings (and the milk line fittings) each include a circumferential groove 37 having an upper tapered side and a flat facing surface. A flexible sealing sleeve 39 is fixed between the fitting and the valve body. The female portion of the quick-disconnect fitting, which is permanently connected to the flexible milk line (FIG. 1) includes a plate having downwardly and inwardly projecting flanges 19, 21 which are adapted to be slidably engaged in opposite sides of the peripheral groove 37 of the fitting 34. A third flange 23 depends from the plate of the female fitting to engage the fitting 34 and facilitate proper positioning of the two fitting parts.

Flush valve 36 is connected to a tee 38 mounted in a sanitizing solution line 40 which, in turn, is connected to a pressurized source of suitable sanitizing solution 42. Such a solution may be water alone or water having suitable chemicals such as iodine and phosphoric acid added thereto. Additional tees 38a, and flush valves 36a are connected to the line 40 at the respective milking stations, adjacent the milk collection line fittings 24a so that each flexible milk line such as line 20 may be readily shifted between connection with a connector fitting of line 26 and one of the flush valves.

After application of sanitizing solution, the milking machine, teat cups, claw and flexible milk line, all must be adequately drained. If the milk line must be disconnected from the sanitizing valve and allowed to drain before it is again connected to the vacuum milk connection line, an additional step is necessary in the handling of the apparatus. For this reason, it is important to enable the apparatus to drain immediately after the flushing operation but without disconnection from the sanitizing line so that the milk line 20 need be handled but one time in disconnecting it from the sanitizing line 40 and reattaching it to the vacuum milk connection line 26. The flush valve is uniquely arranged to accomplish this drain operation in a simple and convenient fashion by incorporating a drain mode in the drain cycle.

Flush valve 36 is normally in a drain condition and will allow draining from the valve drain port of any liquid within the valve and of liquid flowing into the valve from a line such as milk line 20 connected to the valve output. The flush valve is self-timing and self-cycling. Valve cycling is initiated with the milking machine positioned in the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, hung from raised hook 32, with the teat cups and one part of flexible milk line 20 draining to the ground and with the other part of flexible milk line 20 draining to the ground through the valve 36. Upon initiation of operation, the valve will allow sanitizing solution from source 42 to flow through line 20, through the claw 18 and through the teat cups and thence out onto the ground. After a period such as ten seconds, as determined by the valve, the latter recycles itself to its drain condition, blocking further flow of sanitizing solution and allowing fluid in one part of the flexible line 20 and within the valve to drain from the valve drain port onto the floor.

VALVE STRUCTURE

Referring now to FIG. 2, the flush valve includes a valve body 44 having an input port defined by a threaded nipple 46 that is connected to the flush line tee 38, an output port defined by a passage 48 that connects with the quick-disconnect fitting 34, and a drain port comprising an L-shaped bore 50.

A valve closure in the form of a poppet guide 78 is slidably mounted within the valve body and includes a poppet stem 54, sealed to the valve body by means of a fixed annular seal 56, and a conical poppet head 58 having a poppet seal 60. Head 58 and seal 60 mate with and sealingly engage a conical valve body seat 62. The valve body is provided with an internal annular enlargement 64 adjacent the seat 62 that communicates with the valve output port 48 and with an aperture 66 formed in a portion of the poppet stem adjacent the poppet head 58.

A washer 70 retained by a snap ring 72 affords a bearing surface for one end of a helical poppet return compression spring 74 of which the other end bears against an outwardly projecting flange 76 formed on a cup-shaped poppet guide 78. Guide 78 receives the poppet head and presses against the poppet head and poppet seal 60 in response to pressure exerted by spring 74. Flange 76 of poppet guide 78 is suitably relieved (FIG. 3) at spaced points along its periphery to permit passage of fluid from the input port past the poppet guide to the valve seat 62.

The other end of the valve body is provided with an enlarged bore that is closed by a valve body closure plug 80 sealed to the valve body by seals 81, 82. The body closure plug 80 is spaced from a transversely extending valve body structure 84 to define therewith end walls of cylinder 86. The stem of poppet 52 extends through an aperture in transverse body structure 84 and, in certain valve positions, into the cylinder 86.

A piston 88, having a peripheral piston seal 90, is slidably mounted within cylinder 86 and includes an integral hollow stem 92 which is positioned in telescoping sliding relation within the end of the hollow poppet stem 54. A helical piston return compression spring 96 is interposed between the telescoping poppet stem and piston stem, bearing at one end upon the piston and at the other end upon the poppet head, and tending to drive the piston relative to the popped (toward the left in FIG. 2). Piston stem 92 is provided with an aperture 98 that communicates with the drain port 50 via the chamber 86 in the drain position of the valve, illustrated in FIG. 2.

Valve body closure plug 80 is retained within the valve body by a snap ring 100 and includes an outwardly projecting tubular extension 102 in which is mounted a valve initiating plunger and bleed body 104. Plunger 104 includes an integral plunger stem 106 that is slidably mounted within a bore 108 extending through the valve body closure plug 80. Bore 108 is formed with an enlarged portion 110, adjacent cylinder 86, that provides a shoulder 112 which defines a seat for a pilot valve. Stem 106 has one end thereof threaded to receive a headed pilot valve screw 114 having a captured flanged washer 116 retained beneath its head to retain, in turn, a pilot valve O-ring 118 that forms the pilot valve closure seal, bearing against an edge of the shoulder 112.

Plunger stem 106 is necked down near its free end, as indicated at 120, to provide an annular chamber in communication with a bore 122 extending radially through the closure plug 80. Bore 122 is provided with a stepped englargement 124 at its outer end to receive a filter 126. Bore 122 communicates with a passage 128 formed in the wall of valve body 44 and extending through the valve body for connection with the interior of input port nipple 46, thereby to provide a supply of pressurized fluid from the upstream side of the valve to the bore 108 of plunger stem 106.

Valve closure plug 80 is formed with an axially facing annular groove 134 that opens into the inner end of tubular extension 102 and receives a helical compression spring 136 which bears upon a washer 138 surrounding the plunger stem and abutting the plunger body.

Plunger 104, in addition to providing an operating mechanism for the pilot valve to initiate cycling of the flush valve, also provides the time delay by means of a long, relatively large cross-sectional area bleed conduit that connects the cylinder 86 to ambient pressure via a long circuitous path. For such bleeding operation, pilot valve screw 114 is provided with an axial aperture 138 that communicates with a bore 140 extending axially into the plunger stem. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the outer surface of the body of the circular cylindrical plunger is formed with a continuous helical groove 142 that winds about the outer surface of the plunger body from an innermost turn 143 to an outermost turn 144. The latter is adjacent a continuous peripheral flange 146 formed on the outer end of the plunger body and providing an operating surface for pressing the plunger (toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2) to initiate valve cycling.

Plunger stem bore 140 communicates with the inner turn of helical groove 143 via an internal passage 148. The continuous helical groove 142 is formed into a continuous helical closed conduit by means of a sleeve 150 that seals the external surface of the plunger body, completely circumscribing the plunger in close and sealing contact with its external surface, thereby sealing each turn of the helical groove. Sealing sleeve 150 is a resilient elastomeric material such as an ethylenepropylene rubber (EPR) which is somewhat stretched as it is applied to and over the exterior surface of the plunger. Other materials may be used for sleeve 150, such as a material which is heat shrunk upon the plunger body to seal the helical grooves. A rigid and inextensible protective sleeve 152, preferably of metal, encircles the sealing sleeve 150 extending slightly beyond the latter. Sealing sleeve 150 terminates at a point spaced from the plunger flange 146 to provide an annular space 154 communicating on one side with the end turn 144 of the helical bleed passage and on the other side with an aperture 156 formed in the flange 146. Aperture 156 is open to ambient pressure for draining of bleed fluid.

Although many configurations are available, it is presently preferred to form groove 142 with a substantially square cross-section of about 0.020 inches on each side. Other arrangements for forming a long, circuitous bleed conduit are contemplated. For example, the open helical groove may be formed on an internal surface of sleeve 150 and sealed, to define a long closed conduit, by a smooth and continuous exterior surface of plunger body 104. Flange 146 and protection sleeve 152 are a loose sliding fit within extension 102.

OPERATION

As previously described, the flush valve is employed after a milking operation, that is, after disconnecting the teat cups from the cow, disconnecting the female detachable connector part 22 from the vacuum milk connection line, and after connecting fitting 22 to the valve fitting 34. The flexible milk line is raised, being suspended, as by being engaged over hook 32, and the milking machine is sanitized by passing a sanitizing solution from the sanitizing solution line 40 through valve 36, through flexible milk line 20, through the claw 18 and through each of the teat cups 10, 12, 14 and 16. The sanitizing solution is caused to flow through the milking machine for a pre-selected and a repeatably precise period of time such as 10 to 15 seconds, for example, at the end of which time the flow of sanitizing solution is cut off and the flexible milk line 20 is caused to drain both through the teat cups and through the flush valve 36. A drain time of at least three minutes is preferred.

In the normal condition, the valve is in the drain position illustrated in FIG. 2. The head of poppet or valve closure 58 and seal 60 are seated upon valve seat 62 to thereby block the inlet port and prevent flow of sanitizing solution. Springs 74 and 96 urge the poppet 52 and the piston 88 to the extreme left limits of their range of motions wherein the poppet is seated upon the valve seat and the piston abuts the inner surface of the cylinder wall of closure plug 80. In this condition, both aperture 66 in the poppet stem and drain aperture 98 in the piston stem are unblocked and fluid may drain from the flexible milk line through the fitting 34, through the interior of the valve and poppet stem, through the drain aperture 98, and through the drain passage 50 to the ground or other drain sump.

To initiate the self-timing, self-cycling flushing operation of the valve, one momentarily presses the plunger body 104 against resistance of plunger return spring 136, toward the right as viewed in FIG. 5, to open the pilot valve 112, 114, 116, 118, whereby upstream pressurized sanitizing solution will flow via passages 128 and 122 and through the open pilot valve into cylinder 86 at one side (the left as viewed in FIGS 5, 6 and 7) of piston 88. Piston 88, having a considerably larger diameter than the diameter of the head of poppet 52, has a considerably larger area and therefor a greater net force is exerted upon the piston than upon the poppet by fluid of a given unit pressure. Thus, when both the left side of the piston and the right side of the poppet are subjected to a substantially equal unit pressure, there is a net force to the right on the combination of piston and poppet. Pressure of the fluid in the cylinder drives the closure operator (the piston) to the right, telescoping its stem into the hollow stem of the valve closure (the poppet), without initially moving the poppet. Poppet return spring 74 is considerably stronger than piston return spring 96 whereby the latter is compressed during initial portion of the piston travel, until the body of the piston abuts the free end of the poppet stem and the valve attains the position illustrated in FIG. 5. During this initial motion, drain aperture 98 becomes closed by entry of the piston stem into the poppet stem. Thus, the drain aperture 98 is completely closed before the poppet begins to open.

With the piston body in abutment with the end of the poppet stem, continued motion of the piston to the right under pressure of the upstream fluid (which continues to enter cylinder 86 as long as the plunger 104 is depressed and held in the position illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6), now forces the poppet toward the right, moving the poppet head 58 from the valve seat and placing the valve in the flush position illustrated in FIG. 6. This motion is limited by abutment of piston 88 with valve body structure 84. Release of the short duration pressure on plunger 104 allows plunger return or triggering spring 136 to move the plunger to the left and close the pilot valve 112, 118 to prevent further relatively high pressure upstream fluid from entering the cylinder 86.

In this flush position of FIG. 6, the drain port is closed and the input port is open, in communication with the output port and fitting 34. Sanitizing solution under suitable pressure such as, for example, about 40 pounds per square inch, will flow from the source of sanitizing solution through the sanitizing pipe 40, through the valve, through flexible milk line 20, through claw 18 and through all of the teat cups connected thereto from whence the sanitizing solution is discharged to the floor or to a suitable drain sump (not shown).

As previously mentioned, it is desired to provide this flushing flow of sanitizing solution for a precisely repeatable pre-determined period of time, such as ten to fifteen seconds, for example.

Accordingly, as soon as plunger 104 is released to close the pilot valve 112, 118, the run down of the delay period commences. This delay period is determined by the time required for the pressurized fluid within cylinder 86 to flow from the cylinder, through the bleed conduit delay means to ambient pressure for discharge. Pressure on the fluid within the cylinder 86 and flow of the fluid from the cylinder through the bleed conduit during the delay period results at least in part from the force of the return spring 74 (until the poppet head 58 seats upon seat 62) together with the pressure of upstream fluid upon the upstream end of the poppet itself.

During the delay period fluid is forced from cylinder 86 through the passage 138 in pilot valve screw 114, through the bore 140 of the plunger stem 106, through passage 148 and thence through the multiple turns of the helical bleed conduit 142 for discharge through aperture 156 of the plunger flange 146. The bleed conduit 142 has a relatively large cross-section and thus is less subject to blockage and obstruction due to buildup of deposits in the conduit or impurities and other foreign bodies carried in the sanitizing solution and which may pass the filter 126. Nevertheless, despite its relatively large cross-section, the great length of the multiple turn bleed conduit provides a sufficiently large restriction to flow of the bleeding fluid and thus a time delay of the desired magnitude is readily obtained, even with the large cross-section passage.

As fluid bleeds from the chamber 86 through the bleed conduit 142, the poppet and piston return toward the drain position as a unit, moving toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 6 and 7. When the poppet closure 58, 60 engages the valve seat 62, further movement of the poppet to the left is haulted and the action of the poppet return spring 74 can produce no further motion, this spring now being operative merely to hold the poppet in the closed position. However, piston return spring 96, which is compressed by relative motion of the piston, relative to the poppet stem, from a position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 5, now acts to drive the piston from the poppet stem and to further expel fluid from the cylinder via the bleed conduit. During this last portion of return motion of the piston, the piston stem telescopes outwardly of the poppet stem thus unblocking the drain aperture 58 in the piston stem after the poppet has been fully seated.

It is noted that the arrangement of conical poppet seat and telescoping piston and poppet stems affords a low friction configuration that permits operation of movable valve elements with application of relatively small forces. Yet not only is a tight sealing provided, but two valving operations occur in sequence. On motion from drain position, the drain port is first closed and then the imput port is opened. These actions occur in reverse order upon motion from flush position.

Unblocking of the drain aperture 98 continues until the piston seats upon the inwardly facing surface of the cylinder wall or valve body plug 80, at which point the valve has completed its cycle and returned to the drain position illustrated in FIG. 2. Now sanitizing solution within the one portion of the flexible milk line 20 and within the valve body itself, will drain via the drain passage 50. The valve is preferably positioned upon the sanitizing solution line 40 with the drain passage 50 at the bottom of the valve and pointing downwardly so as to facilitate drainage. Preferably, the milking machine remains connected to the valve and drain position after completion of a flushing cycle for approximately three minutes to ensure complete drainage of the flushing solution from the milk line 20. After completion of such drainage, milk line 20 is ready for reconnection to the vacuum milk collection line 26 and for connection of the cups 10, 12, 14 and 16 to another cow. If deemed necessary or desirable, milking may be proceeded by a teat sanitization step employing a sanitizing cup (not shown), preferably of a type that will apply sanitizing solution only to the area of the teat that will actually contact the teat cup liner. Such cup is connected through a separate flexible line and valve (not shown) which may be identical to the valve 36, for application of sanitizing solution directly to the selected area of the teat.

Although the milking machine illustrated includes a claw connected with a plurality of teat cups, it will be understood that principles of the present invention are equally applicable to milking machines which do not employ a claw but instead connect a teat cup directly to a vacuum milk connection line. The present invention contemplates the mechanically self-timed and automatically self-cycling application of sanitizing solution to a milking machine of whatever type employed and particularly to those parts of the milking machine by means of which mastitis is most likely to be transmitted. Flush valves are provided in close adjacency to a number or all of the milk vacuum line connections to facilitate use at each milking station and to provide a complete self-timed cycle of flush and drain during connection to the flush valve.

There has been disclosed a flushing system for milking machines including a self-timing, self-cycling flush and drain valve that is readily triggered, and is mechanically and hydraulically operable, and having a precise, reliable bleed conduit. Since the sanitizing line is completely separate from the milk line and cannot be connected thereto, there is no danger of contamination of the milk with sanitizing solution in the case of valve failure.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited solely by the appended claims.