Patent ID: 8424436

Claim:
A cutting knife for machines for cutting up food products, wherein the cutting knife is a sickle knife which rotates about an axis of rotation ( 11 ) during a cutting operation and which has a cutting edge ( 13 ) at a radially outer periphery of the cutting knife which differs from a circular shape and revolves about the axis of rotation ( 11 ) in the manner of a spiral and which is disposed in a cutting plane ( 15 ) extending perpendicular to the axis of rotation ( 11 ); wherein the cutting edge ( 13 ) forms a radially outwardly disposed end of a blade surface ( 17 ) which forms a part of the rear side ( 21 ) of the knife remote from a product ( 19 ) to be cut up during the cutting operation and includes a blade angle (α) with the cutting plane ( 15 ); wherein a magnitude of the blade angle (α) varies in a peripheral direction; and wherein the blade angle (α) increases constantly over the total cutting edge ( 13 ) extending in the peripheral direction.