Patent ID: 8408107

Claim:
A table saw comprising: a frame structure with a generally flat work surface; a blade mounted on a spindle and being adapted to have at least a portion of the blade extending above the work surface; a drive motor mounted to the frame structure and configured to drive the spindle; a braking mechanism mounted to the frame structure and configured to brake the blade in response to an activation signal; a clamp detachably couples the blade to the spindle, the clamp having at least one tab in mesh with a complimentary bore formed in the spindle, where the tab maintains the blade in fixed relation to the spindle during normal operation of the saw but shears away from remainder of the clamp upon occurrence of a rapid stop event of the blade by the brake mechanism; a transmitter capacitively coupled to the blade and operable to transmit an electrical signal to the blade; a receiver capacitively coupled to the blade and operable to receive said electrical signal transmitted to the blade; and a controller connected to said receiver, said controller operable to detect a variation in said electrical signal and send an activation signal to the braking mechanism when said variation in said electrical signal exceeds a threshold value, where said controller adjusts said threshold value based on an electrical load associated with the operation of the blade.