Multi-application wood working knife and clamping assembly

A knife clamping assembly for clamping a wood working knife for use in a wood working machine that causes the knife to advance in a cutting direction, the knife having a front clamping surface leading in the cutting direction and a rear clamping surface trailing in the cutting direction, the rear clamping surface of the knife, including non-coplanar clamping features separated by a substantially flat middle section, the knife clamping assembly comprising:

• a rear clamping component for clamping the rear clamping surface of the knife, and a front clamping component for clamping the front clamping surface of the knife,
• the rear clamping component having opposed non-coplanar clamping features spaced apart by a substantially non-load bearing middle section;
• the rear clamping component and the knife being configured relative to each other such that when the knife is clamped in the clamping assembly a clamping force exerted by the rear clamping component on the knife occurs at the opposed non-coplanar clamping features of the knife and rear clamping component;
• the opposed clamping features and the middle section of the rear clamping component being sized and shaped to localize the clamping force from the rear clamping component away from the middle section of the knife.

A combination of a knife and a clamping assembly for use in a wood working machine that causes said knife to advance in a cutting direction, with a front side of said knife leading in the cutting direction and a rear side of said knife trailing in the cutting direction,

• said knife comprising a knife body including a first, cutting edge, an opposed second edge, a rear clamping surface on said rear side and an opposed front clamping surface on said front side, said rear and front sides each terminating at said first, cutting edge and said second edge, said rear clamping surface having opposed, non-coplanar clamping features spaced apart from a center of a middle section that separates said clamping features,
• said clamping assembly comprising rear and front clamping components for respectively engaging said rear and front clamping surfaces,
• said opposed clamping features, said rear clamping component and said middle section of said knife body being configured relative to each other such that said rear clamping component engages said rear clamping surface of said knife body at said opposed clamping features to locate said knife body on said rear clamping component and support said knife body against cutting loads acting on said first, cutting edge during transformation of wood by the wood working machine in a direction opposite the cutting direction, and
• said clamping features being concave hollows on said rear clamping surfaces.

A combination of a knife and a clamping assembly for use in a wood working machine that causes said knife to advance in a cutting direction, with a front side of said knife leading in the cutting direction and a rear side of said knife trailing in the cutting direction,

• said knife comprising a knife body including a first, cutting edge, an opposed second edge, a rear clamping surface on said rear side and an opposed front clamping surface on said front side, said rear and front sides each terminating at said first, cutting edge and said second edge, said rear clamping surface having opposed, non-coplanar clamping features spaced apart from a center of a middle section that separates said clamping features,
• said clamping assembly comprising rear and front clamping components for respectively engaging said rear and front clamping surfaces,
• said opposed clamping features, said rear clamping component and said middle section of said knife body being configured relative to each other such that when said knife is clamped in said clamping assembly at least 80 percent of a force exerted on said rear clamping component by said knife occurs at said opposed clamping features, and said rear clamping component engages said rear clamping surface at said opposed clamping features to locate said knife body on said rear clamping surface and support said knife body against cutting loads acting on said first, cutting edge during transformation of wood by the wood working machine in a direction opposite the cutting direction, and
• said clamping features being concave hollows on said rear clamping surfaces.

A combination of a knife and a clamping assembly for use in a wood working machine that causes said knife to advance in a cutting direction, with a front side of said knife leading in the cutting direction and a rear side of said knife trailing in the cutting direction,

• said knife comprising a knife body including a first, cutting edge, an opposed second edge, a rear clamping surface on said rear side and an opposed front clamping surface on said front side, said rear and front sides each terminating at said first, cutting edge and said second edge, said rear clamping surface having opposed, non-coplanar clamping features spaced apart from a center of a middle section that separates said clamping features,
• said clamping assembly comprising rear and front clamping components for respectively engaging said rear and front clamping surfaces,
• said opposed clamping and locating features, said rear clamping components and said middle section of said knife body being configured relative to each other such that the majority of a force exerted by said rear clamping component engaged with said rear clamping surface of said knife body occurs at said opposed clamping features, and said rear clamping component engages said rear clamping surface at said opposed clamping features to locate said knife body on said rear clamping surface and support said knife body against cutting loads acting on said first, cutting edge during transformation of wood by the wood working machine in a direction opposite the cutting direction, and
• said clamping features being concave hollows on said rear clamping surface.