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.

A power operated rotary knife including an annular rotary knife blade supported for rotation in a blade housing. The rotary knife blade including a body and a blade section extending from the body. The body includes an outer wall including an arcuate surface having an upper region extending from a first upper end portion to a second intermediate portion and a lower region extending from the second intermediate portion to a third lower end portion. A plurality of gear teeth extend downwardly from the upper end of the body, each of the plurality of gear teeth including an outer peripheral face forming a portion of the upper region of the arcuate surface of the outer wall. The body outer wall includes a bearing surface having a lower bearing face in the lower region of the arcuate surface and an upper bearing face in the upper region of the arcuate surface.

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.

A power operated trimming tool including a head assembly affixed to a handle assembly. The head assembly includes a frame body supporting a feed roll, a blade, a blade support and a blade retainer plate. The frame body includes an interface portion affixed to the handle assembly and a support portion extending from the interface portion. The blade support includes a cross member of the frame body and defines a blade support slot and a blade receiving opening at a rearward end of the slot. The blade retainer plate is pivotally coupled to the frame body and pivots between first and second positions, in the first position, the blade retainer plate positioned in proximity to the blade receiving opening of the blade support and, in the second position, the blade retainer plate being spaced from the blade receiving opening allowing access to a back side of the blade.

A method and apparatus for use in the field processing of downed big game animals, without removing the entrails of the animal. The procedure may be implemented by one or more persons with the use of a multi-purpose tool that is portable, relatively light weight and suitable to fit into or on to a backpack when collapsed. The multi-purpose tool has features making it suitable for various outdoor activities; but it is especially adapted to form a sturdy tripod stand having telescoping legs and a rope locking mechanism on its head. When assembled as a tripod stand, rope is used to temporarily lift and hold each leg of the animal individually until each quarter and portion is skinned and removed from the carcass in the field.

A method and apparatus for use in the field processing of downed big game animals, without removing the entrails of the animal. The procedure may be implemented by one or more persons with the use of a multi-purpose tool that is portable, relatively light weight and suitable to fit into or on to a backpack when collapsed. The multi-purpose tool has features making it suitable for various outdoor activities; but it is especially adapted to form a sturdy tripod stand having telescoping legs and a rope locking mechanism on its head. When assembled as a tripod stand, rope is used to temporarily lift and hold each leg of the animal individually until each quarter and portion is skinned and removed from the carcass in the field.

A system 10 for analyzing and trimming pork bellies and other three-dimensional food and non-food products which are to be subsequently portioned or sliced so as to achieve an optimum harvest of slices from the food product bearing in mind achieving a maximum yield together with a desired quality level of the portions/slices. The system 10 includes a conveyor 12 for carrying the workpieces (WP) to be trimmed prior to subsequent slicing of the workpiece past a scanning system 14 for scanning the workpiece WP to ascertain the physical characteristics of the workpiece, including, for example, its three-dimensional shape as well as its position on the conveyor.

A cutting station 16 trims the workpiece WP into a desired two-dimensional shape which represents an optimum shape for the workpiece that seeks to maximize the harvest of slices from the workpiece while maintaining a desired quality level for the slices. A slicing station uses high speed cutters or slicers for portioning/slicing the workpiece into portions/slices which have been simulated by a processing system 18 employing a processor or computer 20.

An end effector of a pelt removal apparatus has a rotatable effector base on which is mounted a pair of elongated gripper bars parallel to a rotation axis of the effector base. One of the gripper bars is fixed in position, while the other one is radially spaced from and freely pivotal about a pivot axis parallel to rotation axis. When rotated in a tightening direction from a start position in which the pelt is located in a transverse gap between the gripper bars, the free gripper bar moves, without dedicated actuation of the free gripper bar, to pinch the pelt between the bars, thus gripping the pelt and allowing removal thereof by the pelt removal apparatus.

An arrangement for skinning poultry parts containing the poultry breast includes a conveying device having saddle elements configured for conveying the poultry parts in a conveying direction along a skinning device. The skinning device has at least one rotationally driven profiled roller and a guide element. The roller, together with an entry edge of the guide element, is adapted to form an entry gap for gripping the skin on the side of the poultry breast. The guide element has flank guide elements each adapted for laterally guiding the poultry part, wherein the flank guide elements have inner guide surfaces adapted for contacting the flesh of the poultry part. A method is also provided.

A power operated rotary knife including an annular rotary knife blade supported for rotation in a blade housing. The rotary knife blade including a body and a blade section extending from the body. The body includes an outer wall including an arcuate surface having an upper region extending from a first upper end portion to a second intermediate portion and a lower region extending from the second intermediate portion to a third lower end portion. A plurality of gear teeth extend downwardly from the upper end of the body, each of the plurality of gear teeth including an outer peripheral face forming a portion of the upper region of the arcuate surface of the outer wall. The body outer wall includes a bearing surface having a lower bearing face in the lower region of the arcuate surface and an upper bearing face in the upper region of the arcuate surface.