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A milk liner assembly (1) comprises a milk liner (5) sealably located in an outer shell (3) and defining with the outer shell (3) a pulsating vacuum chamber (23). The milk liner (5) comprises a sleeve (8) and a teat-engaging flange (25) that together define a teat-receiving cavity (11). A teat-accommodating opening (26) through the teat-engaging flange (25) accommodates a teat into the teat-receiving cavity (11). A strengthening ring (28) integrally formed with the sleeve (8) is located on the sleeve (8) and extends around the sleeve (8) adjacent the teat engaging flange (25) for minimising excessive radial inward contraction of the sleeve (8), and in turn excessive radial inward contraction of the teat engaging flange (25) onto the teat so that even if the teat engaging flange (25) were to engage the cricoid fold, milk flow through the cricoid fold would not be inhibited by the gripping pressure exerted by the teat engaging flange (25) on the cricoid fold. The strengthening ring (28) extends axially from the sleeve (8), and terminates in a distal abutment surface (30) for abutting the udder of the animal for in turn spacing the teat-engaging flange (25) from the udder and from the cricoid fold. (FIG.1)