o you said they guy in the link sorry can ask what makes you think that?or how did you come up with that?
The discussions on what was the reason for the table saws name and its function have been going on now for quite some time and in different places here is one link
http://swingleydev.com/archive/get.php?message_id=193520&submit_thread=1#message
On the discussions I have seen most participants are convinced it was a shipwrights tool.Shipwrights as far as I know are not distinguished by there ability to cut tables out but the ability to lay out, pick up and transfer shapes of any form or design.
When the shipwright lofts man starts to lay down a craft he has lists of numbers which help him get the shape of the craft in three different planes.These numbers are called the table of off sets,depending on the size of the craft the templates he makes can some times take three or four men to carry them.
The templates themselves are only a 1/4" thick and will have long sweeping shapes cut out of them this seams (to me at least)the ideal place to use the saw.The saws ability to cut these sweeping shapes could have lead to it finding its way into other craftsmen's tool boxes.
The situation today is that no one can say for certain why it is called a table saw or what its uses where.
Tim is right about it having split nuts my own experience with them is you can remove the split nut but the thread part of the bolt takes a lot of gentle persuasion to let go of the plate. Billy