Power operated rotary knife

A power operated rotary knife comprising:

• an elongated handle assembly extending along a longitudinal axis;
• a frame body coupled to the elongated handle assembly, the frame body including a mounting pedestal;
• and
• a blade-blade housing combination coupled to the mounting pedestal of the frame body and including an annular rotary knife blade supported for rotation about a central axis of rotation by an annular blade housing;
• the annular rotary knife blade including:
• a body and a blade section extending from the body, the body and the blade section being radially centered about a central axis of rotation of the rotary knife blade;
• the body including a first end and a second end spaced axially below the first end and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the outer wall of the body including an arcuate surface being convex radially outward with respect to the central axis of rotation, the arcuate surface including an upper region and a lower region, the upper region of the arcuate surface being axially closer to the first end of the body and the lower region of the arcuate surface being axially closer to the second end of the body;
• the body further including a driven gear having an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end and comprising a plurality of gear teeth, the plurality of gear teeth of the driven gear extending axially downwardly from the first end of the body and extending radially through the outer wall of the body, the plurality of gear teeth including outer surfaces comprising at least a part of the upper region of the arcuate surface;
• and
• the outer wall of the body further including a first bearing surface for rotatably supporting the annular rotary knife blade, the first bearing surface including an upper bearing face in the upper region of the arcuate surface and a lower bearing face in the lower region of the arcuate surface, the outer surfaces of the plurality of gear teeth comprising at least a part of one of the upper bearing face and the lower bearing face of the first bearing surface;
• and
• the annular blade housing including:
• a blade support section and a mounting section extending from the blade support section;
• the blade support section including an inner wall, the inner wall including a first concave bearing surface providing bearing support for the first bearing surface of the outer wall of the body of the annular rotary knife blade.

A power operated rotary knife comprising:

• an elongated handle assembly extending along a longitudinal axis;
• a frame body coupled to the elongated handle assembly, the frame body including a mounting pedestal;
• and
• a blade-blade housing combination coupled to the mounting pedestal of the frame body and including an annular rotary knife blade supported for rotation about a central axis of rotation by an annular blade housing;
• the annular rotary knife blade including:
• a body and a blade section extending from the body, the body and the blade section being radially centered about a central axis of rotation of the rotary knife blade;
• the body including a first end and a second end spaced axially below the first end and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the outer wall of the body including an arcuate surface being convex radially outward with respect to the central axis of rotation, the arcuate surface including a first bearing surface, the outer wall of the body further including a bearing race being concave radially inward with respect to the central axis of rotation, the bearing race including a second bearing surface, the arcuate surface being axially closer to the first end of the body and the bearing race being axially closer to the second end of the body;
• the body further including a driven gear having an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end and comprising a plurality of gear teeth, the plurality of gear teeth of the driven gear extending axially downwardly from the first end of the body and extending radially through the outer wall of the body, the plurality of gear teeth including outer surfaces comprising at least a part of the upper region of the arcuate surface;
• and
• 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 of the blade support section including a first concave bearing surface and an axially spaced apart second convex bearing surface, an upper portion of the inner wall of the blade support section including a bearing race extending radially into the inner wall of the blade support section, the bearing race including the first concave bearing surface and a lower portion of the inner wall of the blade support section including a radially protruding bearing bead, the radially protruding bearing bead including the second convex bearing surface, the first concave bearing surface of the bearing race being concave and the second convex bearing surface of the radially protruding bearing bead being convex, as viewed in a vertical section view along a vertical plane including the blade housing center line, the first concave bearing surface of the blade support section of the blade housing providing bearing support for the first bearing surface of the arcuate surface of the outer wall of the body of the annular rotary knife blade and the second convex bearing surface of the blade support section of the blade housing providing bearing support for the second bearing surface of the bearing race of the outer wall of the body of the annular rotary knife blade.

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

• the annular rotary knife blade including:
• a body and a blade section extending from the body, the body and the blade section being radially centered about a central axis of rotation of the rotary knife blade;
• the body including a first end and a second end spaced axially below the first end and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the outer wall of the body including an arcuate surface being convex radially outward with respect to the central axis of rotation, the arcuate surface including an upper region and a lower region, the upper region of the arcuate surface being axially closer to the first end of the body and the lower region of the arcuate surface being axially closer to the second end of the body;
• the body further including a driven gear having an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end and comprising a plurality of gear teeth, the plurality of gear teeth of the driven gear extending axially downwardly from the first end of the body and extending radially through the outer wall of the body, the plurality of gear teeth including outer surfaces comprising at least a part of the upper region of the arcuate surface;
• and
• the outer wall of the body further including a first bearing surface for rotatably supporting the annular rotary knife blade, the first bearing surface including an upper bearing face in the upper region of the arcuate surface and a lower bearing face in the lower region of the arcuate surface, the outer surfaces of the plurality of gear teeth comprising at least a part of one of the upper bearing face and the lower bearing face of the first bearing surface;
• and
• the annular blade housing including:
• a blade support section and a mounting section extending from the blade support section;
• the blade support section including an inner wall, the inner wall including a first concave bearing surface providing bearing support for the first bearing surface of the outer wall of the body of the annular rotary knife blade.

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

• the annular rotary knife blade including:
• a body and a blade section extending from the body, the body and the blade section being radially centered about a central axis of rotation of the rotary knife blade;
• the body including a first end and a second end spaced axially below the first end and an inner wall and an outer wall spaced radially apart, the outer wall of the body including an arcuate surface being convex radially outward with respect to the central axis of rotation, the arcuate surface including a first bearing surface, the outer wall of the body further including a bearing race being concave radially inward with respect to the central axis of rotation, the bearing race including a second bearing surface, the arcuate surface being axially closer to the first end of the body and the bearing race being axially closer to the second end of the body;
• the body further including a driven gear having an upper end and an axially spaced apart lower end and comprising a plurality of gear teeth, the plurality of gear teeth of the driven gear extending axially downwardly from the first end of the body and extending radially through the outer wall of the body, the plurality of gear teeth including outer surfaces comprising at least a part of the upper region of the arcuate surface;
• and
• 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 of the blade support section including a first concave bearing surface and an axially spaced apart second convex bearing surface, an upper portion of the inner wall of the blade support section including a bearing race extending radially into the inner wall of the blade support section, the bearing race including the first concave bearing surface and a lower portion of the inner wall of the blade support section including a radially protruding bearing bead, the radially protruding bearing bead including the second convex bearing surface, the first concave bearing surface of the bearing race being concave and the second convex bearing surface of the radially protruding bearing bead being convex, as viewed in a vertical section view along a vertical plane including the blade housing center line, the first concave bearing surface of the blade support section of the blade housing providing bearing support for the first bearing surface of the arcuate surface of the outer wall of the body of the annular rotary knife blade and the second convex bearing surface of the blade support section of the blade housing providing bearing support for the second bearing surface of the bearing race of the outer wall of the body of the annular rotary knife blade.