Originally Posted by
Brian D Anderson
I guess this is a good place to tell you all about a little piece of information I learned a while ago:
I don't know exactly when, but a few years ago a large number of table saw manufactures got together and contracted out a small R&D firm in Silicon Valley to come up with a design for a blade braking system, similar to the Saw Stop, but not infringing on their patents. How do I know this? My best friend worked at that R&D firm.
So they came up with a design that not only stopped the blade faster than the Saw Stop, it also didn't destroy the blade either. He said their recharge "kit" was going to be fairly cheap, like a $20 CO2 type of cartridge.
My friend told me a few things about the project that were of interest. He said there was plenty of prior art to get around the Saw Stop patent. Just because the inventor happened to be a patent attorney doesn't mean he had the technology completely covered. He also thought the tool companies were really just covering themselves in the event that they were required to provide the technology on their saws. He wasn't sure if their design would ever make it to market.
His R&D company gave the base design to the tool companies with the idea that they could modify/design their own versions if they so chose to.
That's the last I really heard of it as my friend left the company last summer.
I keep waiting for one of the manufacturers to unveil their braking system.
-Brian
BTW, This was all second hand knowledge through my friend, so the details may not be 100% accurate.