Patent ID: 8745881

Claim:
A power operated rotary knife comprising: a two-part annular rotary knife blade rotating about an axis of rotation and defining a knife blade bearing surface, the knife blade including an annular carrier portion, an annular blade portion and an attachment structure; a blade housing including an inner wall defining a blade housing bearing surface; and a blade-blade housing bearing structure disposed between the knife blade bearing surface and the blade housing bearing surface; the knife blade carrier portion including a first end and an axially spaced apart second end, an outer wall and a radially inward spaced apart inner wall extending respectively between the first end and the second end, and a set of gear teeth; the knife blade blade portion including a first end and an axially spaced apart second end, an outer wall and a radially inward spaced apart inner wall extending respectively between the first end and the second end, and a cutting edge at the blade portion second end, the blade portion configured to be received in a nested relationship by the carrier portion; and the knife blade attachment structure for releasably securing the blade portion to the carrier portion, the attachment structure including a plurality of projections extending from one of the outer wall of the blade portion and the inner wall of the carrier portion and a plurality of sockets disposed in the other of the outer wall of the blade portion and the inner wall of the carrier portion, each of the plurality of projections being received in a respective different one of the plurality of sockets to releasably secure the blade portion to the carrier portion.