Blade guide assembly for power operated rotary knife

A combination of a power operated rotary knife and a blade guide assembly for guiding material to intersect a rotary knife blade of the power operated rotary knife, the combination comprising:

• the power operated rotary knife comprising:
• a handle assembly including an elongated frame member and a head member extending from an end of the elongated frame member, the head member including a mounting region;
• the rotary knife blade;
• and
• a blade housing rotatably supporting the rotary knife blade, a portion of the rotary knife blade extending from the blade housing, the blade housing mounted to the mounting region of the head member;
• and
• the blade guide assembly comprising a blade guide and a cover, the blade guide includes a top wall, a bottom wall spaced axially from the top wall and an outer wall, an arcuate groove spaced radially inwardly from the outer wall, extending axially from the top wall and defining peripherally spaced apart ends, the arcuate groove receiving the rotary knife blade of the power operated rotary knife, a channel extending radially inwardly from the outer wall and intersecting the arcuate groove, the channel receiving the head member, and a notched region intersecting the peripherally spaced apart ends of the arcuate blade-receiving groove and extending from the top wall through the bottom wall, the notched region defining an opening extending radially inwardly from the outer wall, a portion of the rotary knife blade traversing the opening defined by the notched region;
• and
• the cover includes a base secured to the top wall of the blade guide and overlying at least a portion of the arcuate groove to secure the blade housing of the power operated rotary knife within the arcuate groove.