Implements and Machines
Milking Machine
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The machine that freed dairying from the twice-daily hand milking that bounded every herd's size. A basic form was developed in the late 19th century and mechanical milking became the norm across commercial dairying in the 20th; from the early 1990s fully automatic systems reached market, in which the cow presents herself to a robotic stall on her own schedule. Each step traded labor for capital and reshaped what a dairy farm is, including the herd sizes the hand could never have milked.
Facts
Introduced YearAnna Baldwin patented the Hygienic Glove Milker on 18 February 1879, the earliest known powered suction milking device patented in the US; it was not commercially successful, and a commercially viable machine did not reach market until roughly a decade later. OriginA basic form was developed in the late 19th century; fully automatic robotic milking systems became commercially available in the early 1990s. 2 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Automated the extraction of milk from dairy herds
Developed By
Baldwin patented the earliest known powered milking device in the US in 1879; the first commercially successful machines followed roughly a decade later (Murchland, 1889; de Laval-line designs after).
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