Power operated rotary knife

A support structure for use with a power operated rotary knife including an annular rotary knife blade rotating about a central axis and an annular blade housing, the support structure disposed between a knife blade bearing surface and a blade housing bearing surface to secure and rotatably support the knife blade with respect to the blade housing, the support structure comprising:

• an elongated rolling bearing strip having a plurality of rolling bearings disposed in spaced apart relation and a flexible separator cage for positioning the plurality of spaced apart rolling bearings, the rolling bearing strip extending circumferentially between the knife blade bearing surface and the blade housing bearing surface, the separator cage forming at least a portion of a circle and each of the plurality of rolling bearings extending radially from the separator cage and adapted to contact the knife blade bearing surface and the blade housing bearing surface.

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

• aligning a knife blade and a blade housing such that a bearing surface of the knife blade is in radial alignment with a bearing surface of the blade housing, the knife blade bearing surface and the blade housing bearing surface defining an annular passageway;
• and
• routing a rolling bearing strip, which comprises a plurality of roller bearings disposed in spaced apart relation and a flexible separator cage, along the annular passageway such that the strip extends circumferentially around a knife blade central axis between the knife blade bearing surface and the blade housing bearing surface forming at least a portion of a circle about the central axis.