SCIENCE AND MILKING

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3305, 4 June 1931, Page 6

SCIENCE AND MILKING

LATEST INVENTION.

WHAT THE “ROTOLACTOR” DOES. An automatic milking machine that milks 50 cows at a time, washes them, dries them, sterilises both milk containers and apparatus—all in the brief period of 121 minutes —is the latest contribution of science towards efficiency on the farm. In one hour 240 cows can be milked. The machine, which performs the duties of an army of farm hands in a fraction of the time, was inaugurated recently at the Walker - Gordon Laboratories at Plainsboro, New Jersey (U.S.A.) The rotolactor, as it is called, was invented and developed by Henry W. Jeffers, president of the Walker-Gor-don Laboratory Co. The basic idea of the machine consists of a circular platform that revolves very slowly around a central chamber. The platform which is just wide enough for a cow to stand on, contains 50 stalls and stanchions. The animals stand with their heads pointing toward the central chamber, and the general effect is of a wheel, of which the chamber is the hub and the animals are the spokes. The building housing the rotolactor makes use of modern air conditioning equipment in order to maintain the proper temperature at all times and to rid the air of dust. A covered runway leans from the cow barns outside directly to the edge of the rotating platform., As this platform turns a vacant stall appears before the cow, which soon learns to step into it of her own accord. The moment the cow does this a yoke or stanchion automatically fits about her neck, holding her loosely but securely. The next turn of the platform brings the animal into the range of an automatic shower bath. No sooner has the animal passed from the shower than she comes into contact with blasts of ,warm air, which dry her. An attendant tests each quarter of the cow s udder to make certain that no unhealthy condition has developed since the previous milking. Above each stall there is an artificial milking apparatus, together with a sealed glass container instead of the old time milking pail. While the cow has been passing through the stages of washing and drying the milking apparatus and containers have automatically been rinsed in cold water, then sterilised in hot water, and finally cooled again for use. These operations are performed by valves, which are opened and shut by means of stationary levers with which they come in contact as they revolve on the circular platform. Before the turntable has completed one full revolution an attendant removes the milking apparatus. This brings the cow directly opposite an opening in the central brick chamber that comprises the hub of the wheel. At the same moment the yoke about her neck is automatically released. It takes only a few trips to the rotolactor to train the cow to step off the slowly revolving platform at the right time. The jar into which the cow’s milk flows automatically empties in turn into a recording device that weighs the milk. From there a vacuum pipe takes the milk to a room, where it is cooled and bottled. The animals are said to become accustom)ed to the machine in a remarkably short time.