Split blade housing with expansion sleeve assembly for power operated rotary knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11938642-B2
Application number	US-202117387607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2021
Priority date	Oct 2, 2019
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A blade housing assembly for a power operated rotary knife including a split blade housing and an expansion sleeve assembly. The split blade housing including an annular blade support section and a mounting section extending from the blade support section. The mounting section includes a split extending through the mounting section and includes a first body portion and a second body portion on opposite sides of the split, the first body portion including a slot extending axially through the first body portion and movable between blade supporting and blade changing positions. The expansion sleeve assembly extends through the slot and includes a split sleeve changeable between first and second circumferences. The expansion sleeve assembly further including a fastener extends through the split sleeve and, when engaged with the split sleeve, maintains the split sleeve in the first circumference and secures the first body portion in the blade supporting position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blade housing assembly for a power operated rotary knife, the blade housing assembly comprising:
a split blade housing including:
an annular blade support section including an inner wall;
a mounting section extending from the blade support section; and
a split extending through the mounting section and the inner wall of the blade support 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 slot extending axially through the first body portion having a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a passageway, a width of the passageway being smaller than a diameter of the second end portion, the first body portion being movable with respect to the second body portion between a first blade supporting position wherein the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall is a first value and a second blade changing position wherein the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall is a second value, the second value being greater than the first value; and
an expansion sleeve assembly extending through the slot, the expansion sleeve assembly being stationary with respect to the first body portion and including:
a split sleeve having a central opening and a split extending between first and second ends of the split sleeve, a circumference of the split sleeve changeable between a first condition having a first circumference and a second condition having a second circumference, the first circumference of the split sleeve being greater than the second circumference; and
the split sleeve is received in the second end portion of the slot to secure the first body portion in the second blade changing position, the split sleeve being in the first condition.

2. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the width of the passageway of the slot of the first body portion of the mounting section of the split blade housing is smaller than a diameter of the first end portion.

3. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the split sleeve is received in the first end portion of the slot to secure the first body portion in the first blade supporting position, the split sleeve being in the first condition.

4. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the expansion sleeve assembly further includes a fastener having an enlarged head and a shaft extending from the head, the shaft extending through the central opening of the split sleeve, the fastener movable between an engagement position and a disengagement position, in the engagement position of the fastener, the enlarged head of the fastener engaging the split sleeve to maintain the split sleeve in one of the first and second end portions of the slot and secure the first body portion in one of the first blade supporting position and the second blade changing position.

5. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein in the second condition of the split sleeve, the second circumference is sized to pass through the passageway of the slot of the first body portion.

6. The blade housing assembly of claim 5 wherein movement of the first body portion with respect to the second body portion between the first blade supporting position and the second blade changing position causes radial compression of the split sleeve from the first circumference to the second circumference as the split sleeve passes through the passageway of the slot.

7. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the split sleeve of the expansion sleeve assembly includes first and second opposing surfaces defining the split of the split sleeve, the first and second opposing surfaces overlapping in an axial direction of the split sleeve.

8. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner wall of the blade support section is coincident with an inner wall of the mounting section, and the split extending through the mounting section includes a post-receiving opening intermediate and spaced from an outer wall of the mounting section and the inner wall of the mounting section.

9. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the second body portion includes an opening extending axially through the second body portion, and a fastener extends through the opening.

10. The blade housing assembly of claim 1 wherein the annular blade support section of the blade housing is centered about a blade housing center line, and a direction of the split through the mounting section at the inner wall of the blade support section is offset from the blade housing center line.

11. A blade housing assembly for a power operated rotary knife, the blade housing assembly comprising:
a split blade housing including:
an annular blade support section including an inner wall;
a mounting section extending from the blade support section; and
a split extending through the mounting section and the inner wall of the blade support 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 slot extending axially through the first body portion having a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a passageway, a width of the passageway being smaller than a diameter of the first end portion, the first body portion being movable with respect to the second body portion between a first blade supporting position wherein the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall is a first value and a second blade changing position wherein the split distance between the first and second circumferential ends of the inner wall is a second value, the second value being greater than the first value; and
an expansion sleeve assembly extending through the slot, the expansion sleeve assembly being stationary with respect to the first body portion and including:
a split sleeve having a central opening and a split extending between first and second ends of the split sleeve, a circumference of the split sleeve changeable between a first condition having a first circumference and a second condition having a second circumference, the first circumference of the split sleeve being greater than the second circumference; and
the split sleeve is received in the first end portion of the slot to secure the first body portion in the first blade supporting position, the split sleeve being in the first condition.

12. The blade housing assembly of claim 11 wherein the width of the passageway of the slot of the first body portion of the mounting section of the split blade housing is smaller than a diameter of the second end portion.

13. The blade housing assembly of claim 11 wherein the split sleeve is received in the second end portion of the slot to secure the first body portion in the second blade changing position, the split sleeve being in the second condition.

14. The blade housing assembly of claim 11 wherein the expansion sleeve assembly further includes a fastener having an enlarged head and a shaft extending from the head, the shaft extending through the central opening of the split sleeve, the fastener movable between an engagement position and a disengagement position, in the engagement position of the fastener, the enlarged head of the fastener engaging the split sleeve to maintain the split sleeve in one of the first and second end portions of the slot and

Assignees

• Bettcher Industries

Inventors

• Esarey Bernard J

Classifications

• B26B25/002 Primary

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

• A22B5/165

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

• A22C17/0006

  Cutting or shaping meat · CPC title