US 6,981,468 B1
Milking claw bottom
Gary C. Steingraber, Madison, Wis. (US); and Paul D. Thompson, Madison, Wis. (US)
Assigned to Bou-Matic Technologies Corp., Madison, Wis. (US)
Filed on Apr. 20, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/828,432.
Int. Cl. A01J 5/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 119—14.54 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A milking claw for a dairy animal having an udder having at least one teat, said claw having a top having at least one inlet directing incoming milk flow into said claw respectively from said at least one teat, said claw having a bottom having an outlet subject to vacuum for drawing milk therefrom, said outlet comprising a tubular member extending laterally from said claw bottom and having a flow passage of a first vertical height, a nozzle having an opening passing milk therethrough from said claw bottom to said flow passage, said nozzle opening having a second vertical height less than said first vertical height, such that milk level in said claw bottom need only rise to the level of the second lower vertical height of said nozzle opening rather than to the level of the first higher vertical height of said flow passage of said outlet tubular member, to provide a pressure differential between the vacuum in said outlet and the vacuum in said claw, whereby to draw milk from said claw in smaller more frequent slugs as compared to higher volume less frequent slugs while otherwise waiting for milk level in said claw bottom to rise to the level of said first vertical height.