Automatic milking barn

Claim 2

IN A MILKING BARN HAVING A MILKING STALL WHERE A COW MAY BE MILKED AND AN ENTRANCE PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH COWS MOVE INTO SAID MILKING STALL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING GATE MEANS IN SAID PASSAGEWAY DEFINING A PREPARATION STALL THROUGH WHICH A COW MUST MOVE TO ENTER SAID MILKING STALL, LET-DOWN STIMULATING MEANS INCLUDING A DISCHARGE NOZZLE MOUNTED ADJACENT TO SAID PREPARATION STALL FOR APPLYING TO THE UDDER OF A COW THEREIN CONFINED A STREAM OF FLUID WHICH MASSAGES THE UDDER AS IT IMPINGES UPON IT, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY OPERATING SAID STIMULATING MEANS TO APPLY SAID FLUID TO EACH COW''S UDDER AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE COW IS IN SAID PREPARATION STALL.

Claim 3

A MILKING BARN COMPRISING: (A) AN OPERATOR''S STATION, (B) A PLURALITY OF MILKING STALLS ADJACENT TO SAID OPERATOR''S STATION WITH EACH OF SAID STALLS HAVING AN EXIT GATE, (C) MILKING MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO EACH OF SAID STALLS AT SAID OPERATOR''S STATION FOR MILKING A COW IN SAID STALL WITH EACH OF SAID MILKING MEANS HAVING (1) A CLAW FOR ENGAGING THE TEATS OF A COW, (2) HOLDING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE CLAW ON THE TEATS OF A COW, AND (3) MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE FLOW OF MILK GIVEN BY THE COW, (D) MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY WITHDRAWING SAID CLAW FROM THE STALL WHEN SAID CLAW IS NOT HELD ON THE TEATS OF A COW BY SAID HOLDING MEANS, AND (E) RELEASE MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID HOLDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PREDETERMINED OPERATION OF SAID MEASURING MEANS.

Claim 4

A MILKING BARN COMPRISING: (A) AN OPERATOR''S STATION, (B) A PLURALITY OF MILKING STALLS ADJACENT TO SAID OPERATOR''S STATION WITH EACH OF SAID STALLS HAVING AN EXIT GATE, (C) MILKING MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT TO EACH OF SAID STALLS AT SAID OPERATOR''S STATION FOR MILKING A COW IN SAID STALL WITH EACH OF SAID MILKING MEANS HAVING (1) A CLAW FOR ENGAGING THE TEATS OF A COW, (2) HOLDING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE CLAW ON THE TEATS OF A COW, AND (3) MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE FLOW OF MILK GIVEN BY THE COW, (D) MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY WITHDRAWING SAID CLAW FROM THE STALL WHEN SAID CLAW IS NOT HELD ON THE TEATS OF A COW BY SAID HOLDING MEANS, AND (E) RELEASE MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID HOLDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PREDETERMINED OPERATION OF SAID MEASURING MEANS.