MEANS FOR REMOTELY EJECTING THE BLADE OF A MEAT SKINNING MACHINE

A mechanism for ejecting a cutting blade from a knife assembly in a meat skinning machine includes a shoe with a supporting surface for the blade and a releasable clamping assembly for clamping the cutting blade to the supporting surface. The clamping assembly includes a clamp and releasable fasteners. Together the sh oe and clamp form an elongated open slot adjacent to the blade when clamped together by the fasteners. A pair of ejectors exte nd into the slot and are slidably mounted with respect to the shoe and the clamp so as to engage the blade. The ejectors can be pushed into the blade to eject the blade when the clamp is released. The ejectors are rigid elongated rods longitudinally spaced alo ng the edge of the blade opposite the cutting edge. The ejector rods include a guide bulb thereon, with cam surfaces thereon to enga ge and lift the clamp when moved rearwardly to lift the loosened clamp from the blade.