US Patent 7674034 Food mixing machine and agitator therefor

A food mixing machine (10) has a rotatable shaft (18) which is attached to the shaft (21) of an agitator (20). The shaft (21) carries a ring (24) and a disk (23), and the ring (24) carries a cloverleaf-shaped chip (25). The chip (25) has opposed, generally flat lobes (27) with the opposed lobes (29) positioned between the lobes (27). The lobes (29) are inclined relative to the lobes (27). Cutout areas (31) are formed between the lobes (27, 29), and as the agitator (20) is being rotated by the shaft (18), a leading edge (32) on the lobes (27, 29) at the cutout areas (31) contacts the food being mixed. The leading edges (32) have a larger radius of curvature than the trailing edges (33) on each lobe (27, 29).