Rotatable agitator

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM, A VERTICAL, ROTATABLE, DRIVE SHAFT IN THE CONTAINER, AND A SIDE WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM, A ROTOR PROVIDED WITH: HUB STRUCTURE SECURED TO AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH; A HELICAL, TRANSVERSELY FLAT VANE HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED ENDS; MEANS SECURING THE ENDS OF SAID VANE TO SAID HUB STRUCTURE ADJACENT THE UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES OF THE LATTER RESPECTIVELY TO DISPOSE SAID ENDS IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND TO POSITION SAID VANE AT LEAST PARTIALLY ABOUT SAID SHAFT IN LATERALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID HUB STRUCTURE TO THEREBY PRESENT A VERTICALLY DISPOSED MATERIAL PASSAGE EXTENDING THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID HUB STRUCTURE AND SAID VANE; MATERIAL PICKUP MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SECURING MEANS ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF SAID VANE, SUBSTANTIALLY SPANNING THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID HUB STRUCTURE AND SAID LOWER END OF THE VANE AND DISPOSED IN WIPING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BOTTOM FOR WIPING THE LATTER AND DIRECTING MATERIAL TOWARD SAID LOWER END OF THE VANE AS SAID SHAFT IS ROTATED, SAID VANE BEING DISPOSED TO RECEIVE MATERIAL AT SAID LOWER END THEREOF FROM SAID PICKUP MEANS AND TO ELEVATE THE MATERIAL WITHIN THE CONTAINER FOR GRAVITATIONAL RETURN FLOW THROUGH SAID PASSAGE FROM THE UPPERMOST END OF THE VANE AND FROM THE VANE THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH ALONG BOTH LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE VANE DURING CONTINUOUS ROTATION THEREOF, WHEREBY TO CIRCULATE, TUMBLE AND AGITATE THE MATERIAL; AND DEFLECTOR MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CONTAINER IN OVERLYING RELATIONSHIP TO THE GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID VANE AND POSITIONED TO ENGAGE AND DISLODGE MATERIAL FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE VANE AT THE UPPER END THEREOF AS SAID UPPER END MOVES BY SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS DURING ROTATION OF THE SHAFT, WHEREBY THE FREE GRAVITATION OF THE MATERIAL TO THE BOTTOM FOR FURTHER MIXING IS ENHANCED.