James H Fredericks

US Patent:

6742475, Jun 1, 2004

Filed:

Dec 18, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/321387

Inventors:

Rick McLeod - Kansas City MO
James C. Fredericks - Kansas City MO

Assignee:

DeLaval Holding AB - Tumba

International Classification:

A01J 504

US Classification:

119 1449, 119 1447, 119 1454

Abstract:

A variable shut off teat cup liner has a mouthpiece, a barrel and a short milk tube adapted for mounting onto milking claw. The short milk tube includes a segment for engagement with an edge of a claw nipple defining an opening, the segment being intended for bending over the opening to substantially close it to passage of vacuum-drawn air therethrough when the teat cup liner is in a non-milking generally downwardly bending position. The segment has circumferentially extending grooves and longitudinally extending grooves which form lugs which provide improved cut resistance. The circumferentially extending grooves have different axial spacing whereby the amount of overlap of the short milk tube over the nipple may be varied to provide the proper amount of bending.

US Patent:

6418877, Jul 16, 2002

Filed:

Jun 15, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/594879

Inventors:

James C. Fredericks - Kansas City MO 64151
Rick McLeod - Kansas City MO 64133

International Classification:

A01J 504

US Classification:

119 1447, 119 1418

Abstract:

A jetter cup for washing milking equipment includes a cup having a sidewall and a bottom wall defining therein a cavity, a tube having a passageway, and an annular lip having a central opening. The jetter cup facilitates insertion of a mouthpiece of a teat cup liner into the cavity by the provision of ramping bosses circumferentially spaced around the outer surface of the lip, a circumferentially extending groove along the inside of the sidewall at the junction between the lip and the sidewall, and the provision of a plurality of upright ribs along the sidewall which preferably extend downwardly to the bottom wall. When the mouthpiece of the liner is inserted into the cavity, the lip snaps back into sealing relationship around the shell of the teat cup to provide a gap between the sidewall and the skirt of the mouthpiece to permit cleaning and rinsing solution to circulate around the mouthpiece including the lower margin thereof. The bosses lessen frictional engagement between the mouthpiece and the lip during insertion and the groove facilitates the lip in yielding and then returning to a sealing position without the need for twisting or pulling on the teat cup.