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 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 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-driven feed roll for rotation about a feed roll axis of rotation in a hand-held, power operated trimming tool, the feed roll including a cylindrical core having an inner surface defining a through bore and an outer surface including a central cylindrical recess bounded by a base and first and second radially extending side walls at opposite ends of the base and first and second flanking portions on either side of the cylindrical recess. The feed roll further includes an annular drive member formed over the cylindrical recess and integral with the cylindrical core, the annular drive member extending along the first and second radially extending side walls of cylindrical recess and protruding radially outwardly, an outer surface of the annular drive member defining a worm gear for driving the feed roll about the axis of rotation. The first and second flanking portions including annular sets of drive teeth.

A cutting assembly and corresponding workpiece processing for cutting a workpiece, the cutting assembly including a first cutting tool adapted to cut the workpiece along a first cutting plane, and a second cutting tool adapted to cut the workpiece along a second cutting plane, the first and second cutting planes defining an inner angle therebetween, the cutting assembly being adapted to cut the workpiece along the first and second cutting planes in a single operation.

A power-driven feed roll for rotation about a feed roll axis of rotation in a hand-held, power operated trimming tool, the feed roll including a cylindrical core having an inner surface defining a through bore and an outer surface including a central cylindrical recess bounded by a base and first and second radially extending side walls at opposite ends of the base and first and second flanking portions on either side of the cylindrical recess. The feed roll further includes an annular drive member formed over the cylindrical recess and integral with the cylindrical core, the annular drive member extending along the first and second radially extending side walls of cylindrical recess and protruding radially outwardly, an outer surface of the annular drive member defining a worm gear for driving the feed roll about the axis of rotation. The first and second flanking portions including annular sets of drive teeth.

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 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 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.

A knife includes a body that includes a handle section, a substantially circular blade housing section, and a blade including a cutting edge having substantially the same radius of curvature of the blade housing. The substantially circular blade housing section extends substantially perpendicular from the handle section. The blade extends longitudinally out of the blade housing at a position substantially 180° away from the position of the handle section along the circumference of the blade housing and terminates in a sharp point. The width of the blade at the portion immediately adjacent to the blade housing and opposite the blade point is substantially equal to the diameter of the blade housing.