Cam-actuated split blade housing for power operated rotary knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11413778-B2
Application number	US-202117180168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2021
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A blade housing assembly for a power operated rotary knife including a split blade housing and a cam mechanism for changing a blade housing diameter between blade supporting and blade changing positions. The split blade housing includes an annular blade support section, a mounting section and a split extending through the mounting section and an inner wall of the blade support section and defining a split distance between first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall. The split includes a radial split section and an angled split section adjacent the inner wall. The mounting section includes first and second body portions on opposite sides of the split. The cam mechanism includes a cam plate bridging the first and second body portions and a cam member rotatably supported by the cam plate. The cam member is rotatable between closed and open positions to change the blade housing diameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blade housing assembly for rotatably supporting an annular rotary knife blade of a power operated rotary knife, the blade housing assembly comprising:
a split blade housing including a mounting section including an inner wall and an outer wall radially spaced from the inner wall and a split extending through the inner wall and the outer wall of the mounting section and defining a split distance between first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall, the mounting section including a first body portion and a second body portion on opposite sides of the split, the first body portion including a first cam slot; and
a cam mechanism including: a cam plate bridging the first and second body portions of the mounting section of the split blade housing; and a cam member rotatably supported by the cam plate, the cam member rotatable between a first, closed position and a second, open position and including a first cam pin received in the first cam slot of the first body portion of the mounting section of the blade housing, in the first, closed position of the cam member, the first cam pin is positioned at a first position in the first cam slot and the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall being a first value, in the second, open position of the cam member, the first cam pin is positioned at a second position in the first cam slot and the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall being a second value.

2. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the split blade housing includes an annular blade support section centered about a blade housing center line, an inner wall of the blade support section defining a blade bearing region, the mounting section extending from the blade support section.

3. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the split of the split blade housing includes a first split portion adjacent the outer wall of the mounting section and a second split portion adjacent the inner wall of the mounting section, the second split portion extending transversely with respect to the first split portion.

4. The blade housing assembly of claim 3 wherein the split blade housing includes an annular blade support section, the mounting section extending from the blade support section, the blade support section centered about a blade housing center line and the first split portion of the split extends along a first blade housing split axis which intersects the blade housing center line and the second split portion of the split extends along a second blade housing split axis, the first and second blade housing split axes intersecting.

5. The blade housing assembly of claim 4 wherein the first blade housing split axis of the first split portion intersects the inner wall of the mounting section at an intersection location and the second split portion extends through the inner wall of the mounting section at a termination location that is circumferentially offset from the intersection location.

6. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the cam plate includes an opening extending through the cam plate and the base of the cam member includes a first surface and an axially spaced apart second surface and a boss extending from the second surface, the boss rotatably received in the opening of the cam plate, the boss including an actuator for rotating the cam member between the first, closed position and the second, open position.

7. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the first body portion of the mounting section includes a first surface and an axially spaced apart second surface, the first cam slot extending into the second surface.

8. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the second value of the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall is greater than the first value, the first value of the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall corresponding to a first, blade supporting position of the split blade housing and the second value of the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall corresponding to a second, blade changing position of the split blade housing.

9. The blade housing assembly of claim 3 wherein the first split portion of the split extending through the mounting section includes a cylindrical opening.

10. A power operated rotary knife comprising:
an annular rotary knife blade supported for rotation about a central axis of rotation;
an elongated handle assembly extending along a longitudinal axis;
a frame body coupled to a distal end of the elongated handle assembly, the frame body including a mounting pedestal; and
a blade housing assembly coupled to the frame body and supporting the annular rotary knife blade for rotation about the central axis of rotation, the blade housing assembly including:
a split blade housing including a mounting section including an inner wall and an outer wall radially spaced from the inner wall and a split extending through the inner wall and the outer wall of the mounting section and defining a split distance between first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall, the mounting section including a first body portion and a second body portion on opposite sides of the split, the first body portion including a first cam slot; and
a cam mechanism including: a cam plate bridging the first and second body portions of the mounting section of the split blade housing; and a cam member rotatably supported by the cam plate, the cam member rotatable between a first, closed position and a second, open position and including a first cam pin received in the first cam slot of the first body portion of the mounting section of the blade housing, in the first, closed position of the cam member, the first cam pin is positioned at a first position in the first cam slot and the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall being a first value, in the second, open position of the cam member, the first cam pin is positioned at a second position in the first cam slot and the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall being a second value, the cam mechanism securing the mounting section of the split blade housing to the mounting pedestal of the frame body.

11. The power operated rotary knife of claim 10 wherein the split blade housing includes an annular blade support section centered about a blade housing center line, an inner wall of the blade support section defining a blade bearing region, the mounting section extending from the blade support section.

12. The power operated rotary knife of claim 10 wherein the split of the split blade housing includes a first split portion adjacent the outer wall of the mounting section and a second split portion adjacent the inner wall of the mounting section, the second split portion extending transversely with respect to the first split portion.

13. The power operated rotary knife of claim 12 wherein the split blade housing includes an annular blade support section, the mounting section extending from the blade support section, the blade support section centered about a blade housing center line and the first split portion of the split extends along a first blade housing split axis which intersects the blade housing center line and the second split portion of the split extends along a second blade housing split axis, the first and second blade housing split axes intersecting.

14. The power operated rotary knife of claim 10 wherein the mounting pedesta

Assignees

• Bettcher Industries

Inventors

• Whited Jeffrey A
• Seguin Jr Dennis R
• Esarey Bernard J

Classifications

• A22C17/12

  Apparatus for cutting-off rind {(skinning instruments A22B5/16)} · CPC title

• A22B5/165

  Ring knives specially adapted for skinning (motor driven tools with annular blades B26B25/002) · CPC title

• B25F5/02

  Construction of casings, bodies or handles {(B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B26B25/002 Primary

  Motor-driven knives with a rotating annular blade · CPC title