Sharpening method and apparatus for rotary knives

A sharpening apparatus for a rotary knife blade comprising in combination;

• a rotary knife blade having upper and lower surfaces and a sharpened edge therebetween;
• and
• a sharpening material support base;
• at least one lower sharpening means mounted on said sharpening material support base;
• at least one upper sharpening means mounted on said sharpening material support base, said upper sharpening means extending at an acute angle upwards above and relative to said lower sharpening means;
• and
• said upper and lower sharpening means disposed relative to one another to generally simultaneously engage said upper and lower surfaces of said rotary knife blade and abrade said upper and lower surfaces to increase the sharpness of said sharpened edge.

A method of sharpening a rotary knife blade comprising the steps;

• providing a rotary knife blade having upper and lower surfaces and a sharpened edge therebetween, at least one lower sharpening means mounted on a sharpening material support base and at least one upper sharpening means mounted on said sharpening material support base, said upper sharpening means extending at an acute angle upwards above and relative to said lower sharpening means;
• positioning said sharpening material support base adjacent said rotary knife blade while said blade is rotating;
• engaging said lower surface of said rotary knife blade with said at least one lower sharpening means;
• moving one of said rotary knife blade and said at least one upper sharpening means until said at least one upper sharpening means contacts said upper surface of said rotary knife blade;
• and
• said at least one upper and lower sharpening means each contacting one of said upper and lower surfaces respectively of said rotary knife blade generally simultaneously, thus abrading said upper and lower surfaces of said rotary knife blade and sharpening said sharpened edge.