Patent ID: 8146258

Claim:
A saw for cutting an article, said saw comprising: an elongated saw blade having a proximal end and a distal end; a driver assembly for moving said elongated saw blade; a housing encapsulating said driver assembly; and a guide for guiding said elongated saw blade, the saw being configured so that said guide is moveable between an active position and an inactive position, the guide in said active position limiting lateral movement of said elongated saw guide blade, the guide in said inactive position not limiting lateral movement of said elongated saw blade, wherein said saw is configured so that said guide, when encountering a force imparted by said article during cutting while said guide is in said active position, is capable of moving from said active position to permit continued cutting of said article after said article is contacted by said guide during cutting, wherein the guide includes a blade limiting assembly for limiting lateral movement of the elongated saw blade when the guide is in said active position, the blade limiting assembly surrounding the elongated saw blade at a position spaced from the housing when the guide is in said active position, wherein the blade limiting assembly includes first and second opposing members that are spaced to a lateral spacing distance greater than a width of the blade, wherein the guide defines a clearance between the guide and the elongated saw blade, the clearance having a height greater than a height of the elongated saw blade, the saw being configured so that during cutting at least a portion of the article being cut can be accommodated within the clearance without the article being cut contacting the guide.