Patent ID: 8485770

Claim:
An agitating device in combination with a bin floor assembly of a particulate material storage bin in which the bin floor assembly includes a bin floor, a discharge sump below the bin floor including a passage extending outwardly from an inner end wall adjacent a center of the bin floor, a central discharge opening in the bin floor in communication with an inner end of the passage of the discharge sump, a discharge auger extending through the passage so as to be arranged to convey material from the central discharge opening to an exterior of the storage bin, and a sweep auger supported above the bin floor and arranged to gather particulate material towards the discharge opening, the agitating device comprising: a grate member comprising a plurality of spaced apart bars fixed relative to one another; a frame mounted in the discharge opening of the bin floor assembly, the frame including a pair of rails arranged to be supported along opposing sides of the discharge opening in the bin floor; the rails supporting the grate member on the bin floor assembly such that the grate member is slidable generally horizontally along the rails between a first position substantially spanning across the discharge opening and a second position substantially spanning across the discharge opening at a location spaced along the rails from the first position; an actuator being arranged to reciprocate the grate member between the first and second positions thereof; at least one protrusion member supported on the grate member so as to be movable between a working position extending upwardly from the grate member beyond an uppermost surface of the bin floor and a sweep position in which the protrusion member does not interfere with rotation of the sweep auger across the bin floor past the protrusion member; and a retainer member arranged to selectively retain said at least one protrusion member in the working position.