Blade bushing for rotary knife

A rotary knife bushing to be used with an annular blade of a rotary knife, wherein the rotary knife includes a housing that presents an annular radial facing housing bearing surface, said annular blade presenting an annular radial facing blade bearing surface in an opposed relationship with the housing bearing surface, with the bushing configured to be received on the bearing surfaces to rotatably support the blade relative to the housing, said rotary knife bushing comprising:

• an elongated generally arcuate bushing body presenting opposite body ends,
• said bushing body extending circumferentially along a circular path to assume an arcuate form when received on the bearing surfaces,
• said body ends being at least substantially adjacent one another when the body is received on the bearing surfaces,
• said bushing body presenting oppositely radially facing inner and outer circumferential bushing surfaces operable to respectively slidably engage respective ones of the bearing surfaces,
• at least one of the bushing surfaces including circumferential faces that extend along the circular path and cooperatively define an interior angle therebetween, with the circumferential faces being configured to engage one of the bearing surfaces received at least partly within the interior angle,
• said inner circumferential surface having an inner cross-sectional profile and said outer circumferential surface having an outer cross-sectional profile,
• each of said inner and outer cross-sectional profiles being configured to conform substantially to the respective one of the bearing surfaces,
• at least one of said profiles including a radial projection that presents a substantially axially extending face configured to engage the respective one of the bearing surfaces.

A rotary knife driven by a power source, the rotary knife comprising:

• a blade housing component;
• an annular blade component operable to be driven by the power source so as to rotate about a rotational axis,
• said housing component presenting an annular radially facing housing bearing surface,
• said blade component presenting an annular radially facing blade bearing surface in an opposed relationship with the housing bearing surface;
• and
• an elongated bushing component received on the bearing surfaces and presenting opposite ends,
• said bushing component extending circumferentially along a circular path to assume an arcuate form when received on the bearing surfaces,
• said ends being at least substantially adjacent one another,
• said bushing component rotatably supporting the blade component relative to the housing component,
• at least one of said components including a radial, circumferentially extending projection and at least one of the other components including a circumferentially extending complemental groove that slidably receives the projection therein,
• said bushing component presenting circumferential faces that extend along the circular path and cooperatively define an interior angle therebetween, with the circumferential faces engaging one of the bearing surfaces received at least partly within the interior angle.