# US 11,026,434 B2 · Power operated trimming tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,434 B2 - Document ID: US11026434B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/696,866 - Filed: 2017-09-06 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-06 - Assignees: Bettcher Industries, Inc. - Applicants: Bettcher Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Jason A. Sukey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026434B2 ## CPC - A22B 5/166: {Drum skinners} - A22C 17/12: Apparatus for cutting-off rind {(skinning instruments A22B5/16)} - B25G 1/04: telescopic; extensible; sectional - A22B: SLAUGHTERING - A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00) - B25G: HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS (attaching the blades or the like to handles of hand tools for soil working A01B1/22; handles of hand implements for harvesting A01D1/14; handles integral with brushware A46B) ## Abstract A power operated trimming tool including a head assembly affixed to a handle assembly. The head assembly includes a frame body supporting a feed roll, a blade, a blade support and a blade retainer plate. The frame body includes an interface portion affixed to the handle assembly and a support portion extending from the interface portion. The blade support includes a cross member of the frame body and defines a blade support slot and a blade receiving opening at a rearward end of the slot. The blade retainer plate is pivotally coupled to the frame body and pivots between first and second positions, in the first position, the blade retainer plate positioned in proximity to the blade receiving opening of the blade support and, in the second position, the blade retainer plate being spaced from the blade receiving opening allowing access to a back side of the blade. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power operated trimming tool comprising: an elongated handle assembly including a throughbore extending along a longitudinal axis of the handle assembly, the handle assembly including handle including a handle body and a handle extension extending distally from the handle body, the handle extension having an inner surface defining a portion of the handle assembly throughbore and the inner surface of the handle extension including a bearing seating region, the bearing seating region defining a part of the handle assembly throughbore that is distal to the handle body; a drive gear supported for rotation about a drive gear axis of rotation by a shaft support assembly; the shaft support assembly including first and second bearing support assemblies disposed in the bearing seating region of the handle extension, the first and second bearing support assemblies of the shaft support assembly supporting the drive gear for rotation about the drive gear axis of rotation; a head assembly affixed to the handle extension of the handle assembly, the head assembly including a frame body and a rotating element; the rotating element supported for rotation about an axis of rotation, the drive gear operatively coupled to the rotating element to rotate the rotating element about the axis of rotation of the rotating element; and the frame body including an interface portion and a support portion extending from the interface portion, the interface portion coupled to a distal end portion of the handle extension to couple the head assembly to the handle assembly, the support portion supporting the rotating element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power operated trimming tool of claim 1 wherein the first and second bearing support assemblies of the shaft support assembly are longitudinally spaced apart and comprise first and second ball bearing assemblies. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power operated trimming tool of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the handle extension includes an annular groove adjacent the bearing seating region, a retaining ring is disposed in the annular groove to inhibit longitudinal movement of the first and second bearing support assemblies along the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power operated trimming tool of claim 1 the power operated trimming tool further includes a shaft drive transmission including a driver assembly releasably positioned within the handle assembly throughbore, a drive fitting supported by the driver assembly engaging a driven fitting of the drive gear such that rotation of the drive fitting rotates the drive gear about the drive gear axis of rotation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power operated trimming tool of claim 4 wherein the drive gear includes a worm gear driver at a distal end portion of the drive gear and the driven fitting at a proximal end portion of the drive gear. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power operated trimming tool of claim 1 wherein the drive gear includes an intermediate shaft, the first and second bearing support assemblies bearing against the intermediate shaft to support the drive gear for rotation about the drive gear axis of rotation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The power operated trimming tool of claim 6 wherein the intermediate shaft includes a driven fitting comprising a socket formed in a proximal end portion of the intermediate shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power operated trimming tool of claim 1 wherein the first and second bearing support assemblies are located about a longitudinal center point of the drive gear. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The power operated trimming tool of claim 4 wherein the power operated trimming tool further includes an external drive motor and wherein the shaft drive transmission is operatively coupled between the handle assembly and the external drive motor, the shaft drive transmission including an outer casing and a flex shaft rotatably supported within the outer casing, the flex shaft rotates about a flex shaft axis of rotation, the driver assembly is disposed at a distal end of the outer casing and the drive fitting is disposed at a distal end of the flex shaft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The power operated trimming tool of claim 9 wherein the flex shaft axis of rotation and the drive gear axis of rotation are substantially aligned and coincident in a region of the handle assembly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power operated trimming tool of claim 1 wherein the rotating member is a feed roll and the axis of rotation of the rotating element is a feed roll axis of rotation and further wherein the feed roll is supported for rotation by a feed roll shaft extending through a central longitudinal opening of the feed roll and defining the feed roll axis of rotation and further wherein the trimming tool further includes a blade having a cutting edge extending along a forward side of the blade in proximity to an outer surface of the feed roll. ### Claim 12 A power operated trimming tool assembly comprising: a power operated trimming tool including: an elongated handle assembly including a throughbore extending along a longitudinal axis of the handle assembly, the handle assembly including handle including a handle body and a handle extension extending distally from the handle body, the handle extension having an inner surface defining a portion of the throughbore and the inner surface of the handle extension including a bearing seating region; a drive gear supported for rotation about a drive gear axis of rotation by a shaft support assembly, the drive gear including a worm gear driver at a distal end portion of the drive gear and an intermediate shaft extending from the worm gear driver; the shaft support assembly including one or more bearing support assemblies disposed in the bearing seating region of the handle extension, the one or more bearing support assemblies of the shaft support assembly supporting the drive gear for rotation about the drive gear axis of rotation; a head assembly affixed to the handle extension of the handle assembly, the head assembly including a frame body and a rotating element; the rotating element supported for rotation about an axis of rotation, the drive gear operatively coupled to the rotating element to rotate the rotating element about the axis of rotation of the rotating element; the frame body including an interface portion and a support portion extending from the interface portion, the interface portion coupled to a distal end portion of the handle extension to couple the head assembly to the handle assembly, the support portion supporting the rotating element; and a shaft drive transmission including a driver assembly releasably positioned within the handle assembly throughbore, a drive fitting supported by the driver assembly engaging the drive gear such that rotation of the drive fitting rotates the drive gear about the drive gear axis of rotation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The power operated trimming tool assembly of claim 12 wherein the rotating element is a feed roll and the axis of rotation of the rotating element is a feed roll axis of rotation and further wherein the power operated trimming tool includes an external drive motor and wherein the shaft drive transmission is operatively coupled between the handle assembly and the external drive motor, the shaft drive transmission including an outer casing and a flex shaft rotatably supported within the outer casing, the flex shaft rotates about a flex shaft axis of rotation, the driver assembly is disposed at a distal end of the outer casing and the drive fitting is disposed at a distal end of the flex shaft, the flex shaft axis of rotation and the drive gear axis of rotation being substantially aligned and coincident in a region of the handle assembly. ### Claim 14 A power operated trimming tool comprising: an elongated handle assembly including a throughbore extending along a longitudinal axis of the handle assembly, the handle assembly including handle including a handle body and a handle extension extending distally from the handle body, the handle extension having an inner surface defining a portion of the handle assembly throughbore and the inner surface of the handle extension including a bearing seating region, the bearing seating region defining a part of the handle assembly throughbore that is distal to the handle body; a drive gear supported for rotation about a drive gear axis of rotation by a shaft support assembly, the drive gear including a worm gear driver at a distal end portion of the drive gear and an intermediate shaft extending from the worm gear driver; the shaft support assembly including one or more bearing support assemblies disposed in the bearing seating region of the handle extension, the one or more bearing support assemblies of the shaft support assembly bearing against the intermediate shaft to support the drive gear for rotation about the drive gear axis of rotation; a head assembly affixed to the handle extension of the handle assembly, the head assembly including a frame body and a rotating element; the rotating element supported for rotation about an axis of rotation, the drive gear operatively coupled to the rotating element to rotate the rotating element about the axis of rotation of the rotating element; and the frame body including an interface portion and a support portion extending from the interface portion, the interface portion coupled to a distal end portion of the handle extension to couple the head assembly to the handle assembly, the support portion supporting the rotating element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the one or more bearing support assemblies are located about a longitudinal center point of the drive gear. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the one or more bearing support assemblies include first and second bearing support assemblies disposed in the bearing seating region of the handle extension. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The power operated trimming tool of claim 16 wherein the first and second bearing support assemblies of the shaft support assembly are longitudinally spaced apart and comprise first and second ball bearing assemblies. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the intermediate shaft of the drive gear includes a driven fitting comprising a socket formed in a proximal end portion of the intermediate shaft. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein a distal section of the inner surface of the handle extension includes the bearing seating region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the inner surface of the handle extension includes an annular groove adjacent the bearing seating region, a retaining ring is disposed in the annular groove to inhibit longitudinal movement of the first and second bearing support assemblies along the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the rotating member is a feed roll and the axis of rotation of the rotating element is a feed roll axis of rotation and further wherein the worm gear driver of the drive gear operatively engages a worm wheel formed on an outer surface of the feed roll to rotate the feed roll about the feed roll axis of rotation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The power operated trimming tool of claim 21 wherein the intermediate shaft of the drive gear includes a driven fitting comprising a socket formed in a proximal end portion of the intermediate shaft. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The power operated trimming tool of claim 16 wherein the first and second bearing support assemblies are located about a longitudinal center point of the drive gear. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the frame body includes an upper wall and first and second side walls extending from opposite ends of the upper wall, a rear wall extending from the upper wall and extending between the first and second side walls, the frame body supporting the rotating member within an interior region of the frame body. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The power operated trimming tool of claim 24 wherein the rotating member is a feed roll and the axis of rotation of the rotating element is a feed roll axis of rotation and further wherein the feed roll is supported for rotation by a feed roll shaft extending through a central longitudinal opening of the feed roll and defining the feed roll axis of rotation and extending between the first and second side walls of the support portion of the frame body. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The power operated trimming tool of claim 14 wherein the trimming tool further includes a blade having a cutting edge extending along a forward side of the blade in proximity to an outer surface of the rotating member.