Hopper agitator

A rotatable multiaction material agitating device for use with a material delivery apparatus, said material delivery apparatus including at least one hopper assembly for storing and dispensing ground material and means for rotating said agitating device operatively associated with said hopper assembly, said hopper assembly including a storage hopper in which ground material is retained prior to dispensing, and an inverted frustoconical funnel portion, said agitating device being disposed in said storage hopper and rotated by said rotating means for moving ground material stored in said storage hopper to prevent clogging and bridging of the ground material, said multiaction agitating device comprising:

• a base segment operatively attached to said rotating means for rotating said agitating device in said hopper assembly;
• a blending blade extending from said base segment, said blending blade being spaced away from an inside surface of said funnel portion;
• and
• a wiping blade extending from said base segment generally opposite said blending arm and being positioned in close proximity to said inside surface of said funnel portion opposite said blending arm for moving material retained in the storage hopper away from the inside surface of the storage hopper;
• said wiping blade being formed with a spiral twist, a leading edge of said wiping blade angled towards said inside surface of funnel portion, said spirally twisted wiping blade facilitating wiping action of said wiping blade against said inside surface of said funnel portion when ground material retained in said storage hopper presses said wiping blade against said inside surface of said funnel portion.