Apparatus for cleaning automatic milking machines

Claim 1

A clean-in-place system for cleaning a component of an automatic milking machine, comprising a. a container (17); b. means including first valve means (V3, V4) for supplying to said container a quantity of prerinsing liquid having a temperature of between 50° F and 120° F; c. an insulated storage receptacle (16) for containing a quantity of a cleaning solution; d. heater means (18) arranged in said storage receptacle for maintaining said cleaning solution at a temperature of between 50° F. and 120° F.; e. means including second valve means (V 5 ) for supplying the cleaning solution from said storage receptacle to said container; f. first conduit means (14) connected at one end with said container and being adapted for connection at its other end with one end of said milking machine component; g. two-position diverter valve means (V 1 ) having an inlet, a first outlet connected solely with said storage receptacle, and a second outlet connected with waste, said diverter valve means being operable between first and second positions to alternately connect the inlet thereof with said first and second outlets, respectively; h. liquid pump means (5) having an inlet adapted for connection with the other end of said milking machine component, and an outlet connected with the inlet of said diverter valve means; and i. vacuum pump means (4) connected with the inlet of said pump means; j. said vacuum pump means being initially operable--when said first valve means are open, second valve means are closed and said diverter valve is in its second position--for drawing pre-rinsing liquid from said container through said component to the inlet of said pump means, said liquid pump means being operable to discharge the used pre-rinsing liquid to waste, said vacuum pump and liquid pump means then being operable--when said first valve means are closed, said second means is open, and said diverter valve is in its first position--for drawing the cleaning solution from said storage receptacle through the component via said container and for discharging the used cleaning solution into said storage receptacle, said liquid pump means and said vacuum pump means being subsequently operable--when said first valve means is open, said second valve means is closed, and said diverter valve means is in its second position--to refill said container with a quantity of clean rinsing liquid, to draw the rinsing liquid through said component, and to discharge the used rinsing liquid to waste.