Cam-actuated split blade housing for power operated rotary knife

A combination of an annular rotary knife blade and an annular blade housing for use in a power operated rotary knife, the combination comprising:

• the annular blade housing including:
• a blade support section centered about a blade housing center line and a mounting section extending from the blade support section,
• the blade support section including an inner wall and a radially spaced apart outer wall, an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end,
• the inner wall including:
• a first concave bearing surface and an axially spaced apart second convex bearing surface,
• a bearing race extending radially into the inner wall and including the first concave bearing surface,
• a radially protruding bearing bead including the second convex bearing surface,
• the first concave bearing surface being concave and the second convex bearing surface being convex, as viewed in a vertical section view along a vertical plane including the blade housing center line,
• the bearing race being closer to the upper end of the blade support section and the radially protruding bearing bead being closer to the lower end of the blade support section;
• and
• the annular rotary knife blade supported by the blade support section of the annular blade housing for rotation about a central axis of rotation.

A split blade housing assembly for supporting an annular rotary knife blade for rotation in a power operated rotary knife, the split blade housing assembly comprising:

• a split blade housing including:
• a blade support section centered about a blade housing center line,
• a mounting section extending from the blade support section, the mounting section including a split through the mounting section,
• the blade support section including an inner wall and a radially spaced apart outer wall, an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end,
• the inner wall including:
• a first concave bearing surface and an axially spaced apart second convex bearing surface,
• a bearing race extending radially into the inner wall and including the first concave bearing surface,
• a radially protruding bearing bead including the second convex bearing surface,
• the first concave bearing surface being concave and the second convex bearing surface being convex, as viewed in a vertical section view along a vertical plane including the blade housing center line,
• the bearing race being closer to the upper end of the blade support section and the radially protruding bearing bead being closer to the lower end of the blade support section.

A split blade housing for supporting an annular rotary knife blade for rotation in a power operated rotary knife, the split blade housing comprising:

• a blade support section centered about a blade housing center line;
• a mounting section extending from the blade support section, the mounting section including an inner wall, an outer wall, and a split through the mounting section;
• the blade support section including an inner wall and a radially spaced apart outer wall, an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end,
• the inner wall of the blade support section including:
• a first concave bearing surface,
• a bearing race extending radially into the inner wall and including the first concave bearing surface,
• the first concave bearing surface being concave, as viewed in a vertical section view along a vertical plane including the blade housing center line, and
• the split of the mounting section including:
• a first split portion extending through the outer wall of the mounting section and a second split portion extending through the inner wall of the mounting section and the inner wall of the blade support section,
• the second split portion extending transversely from the first split portion,
• the first split portion of the split extending along a first blade housing split axis which intersects the blade housing center line and the second split portion of the split extending along a second blade housing split axis, the first and second blade housing split axes intersecting.