Milking box with robotic attacher comprising an arm that pivots, rotates, and grips

摘要

An apparatus comprises a milking box having a stall to accommodate a dairy livestock and a robotic attacher. The robotic attacher comprises a main arm that is suspended vertically from a rail of the milking box, and a supplemental arm that is coupled to and extends horizontally from the main arm along a longitudinal axis. The supplemental arm comprises a pivot assembly that pivots a gripping portion around a vertical axis that is substantially parallel to the main arm of the robotic attacher, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the supplemental arm.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a milking box having a stall to accommodate a dairy livestock; a robotic attacher comprising a main arm that is suspended vertically from a rail of the milking box, and a supplemental arm that is coupled to and extends horizontally from the main arm along a longitudinal axis, wherein the supplemental arm comprises a pivot assembly that pivots a gripping portion around a vertical axis that is substantially parallel to the main arm of the robotic attacher, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the supplemental arm, and between at least a maximum-left position, a maximum-right position, and a centered position; the pivot assembly comprising:
a first actuator operable to extend and retract a first cable coupled to a left side of the gripping portion in order to pivot the gripping portion; anda second actuator operable to extend and retract a second cable coupled to a right side of the gripping portion in order to pivot the gripping portion.