Milk line releaser and washer apparatus

Claim 1

A MILK LINE RELEASER AND WASHER APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIRST FLUID RECEIVING GENERALLY SPHERICAL VESSEL HAVING A FLUID INLET AND A VACUUM INLET, A SECOND GENERALLY SPHERICAL; VESSEL, A NARROW NECK PORTION FORMING A FLUID COMMUNICATING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID VESSELS, A ONEWAY CHECK VALVE IN SAID CONNECTION WHICH CLOSES AND PREVENTS FLUID FLOW FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL TO SAID FIRST VESSEL WHEN THE LATTER IS SUBJECTED TO VACUUM VIA SAID VACUUM INLET, SAID SECOND VESSEL HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ITS LOWER SIDE FOR DRAINING FLUID THEREFROM BY GRAVITY, A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE FOR SAID DISCHARGE OPENING AND OPENABLE BY THE FLUID IN SAID SECOND VESSEL WHEN THE LATTER IS AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, A CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID SECOND VESSEL, AND VALVE MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH A SOURCE OF VACUUM AND COMMUNICABLE WITH SAID CONDUIT AND SAID VACUUM INLET FOR ALTERNATELY (1) SUBJECTING SAID FIRST VESSEL TO VACUUM AND SAID SECOND VESSEL TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND (2) SUBJECTING SAID SECOND VESSEL TO VACUUM AND CONSEQUENTLY SAID FIRST VESSEL ALSO TO VACUUM WITH SAID CHECK VALVE, SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A SHIFTABLE ELEMENT TO WHICH SAID SOURCE OF VACUUM IS CONNECTED BY MEANS OF A FLEXIBLE CONDUIT, ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID VALVE, AND TIMER MEANS FOR INITIATING ACTUATION OF SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS.