1. A kit for modifying a bolt carrier group actuating apparatus of a firearm configured by its original manufacturer to have a gas-driven bolt carrier, comprising:
a gas expansion assembly having an end portion thereof engagable with an as-manufactured original equipment manufacturer (OEM) gas block of a firearm and having a passage extending through said end portion for routing combustion gases from the as-manufactured OEM gas block into a gas expansion chamber of the gas expansion assembly thereby allowing expansion of said gases therein for generating a bolt carrier driving force;
an operating rod driven bolt carrier including an operating rod engaging lug, wherein the operating rod driven bolt carrier is configured for being operably engaged within an as-manufactured OEM receiver body of the firearm with the operating rod engaging lug located in a gas tube lug receiving portion of the as-manufactured OEM receiver body;
an operating rod engagable between the gas expansion assembly and the operating rod engaging lug for exerting the bolt carrier driving force on the operating rod engaging lug;
the gas expansion assembly includes a gas spigot and a gas expansion device;
the gas expansion device including an expansion body and a piston;
the gas spigot includes a gas block interface portion, a gas expansion device interface portion and a passage extending therebetween;
the expansion body includes a passage extending between opposing end portions thereof;
the piston is slideably engagable within the expansion body passage through one of said opposing end portions for forming a gas expansion chamber within the expansion body passage between the piston and gas spigot and such that the expansion body and the piston define respective opposing end portions of the gas expansion device;
the gas expansion device interface portion of the gas spigot is engagable with a first one of said end portions of the gas expansion device in a manner whereby the gas spigot passage is communicatively coupled to the gas expansion chamber;
the gas block interface portion engagable with the as-manufactured OEM gas block;
the first one of said end portions of the gas expansion device includes an end portion of the piston; and
the piston includes a gas routing passage extending therethrough for allowing said combustion gases to be routed from the gas spigot through the piston into the gas expansion chamber.
2. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the piston and the expansion body includes a gas vent hole extending therethrough for allowing release of at least a portion of said combustion gas dependent upon a relative longitudinal position of the piston within the expansion body passage.
3. The kit of claim 1 wherein a centerline axis of the gas block interface portion is one of offset and in-line with respect to a centerline axis of the gas expansion device interface portion.
4. The kit of claim 1 wherein:
the first one of said end portions of the gas expansion device includes an end portion of the expansion body; and
the expansion body passage includes a first portion for receiving the piston and a second portion for routing said combustion gas from the gas spigot to the first portion thereof.
5. A kit for modifying a bolt carrier group actuating apparatus of a firearm configured by its original manufacturer to have a gas-driven bolt carrier, comprising:
a gas expansion assembly having an end portion thereof engagable with an as-manufactured original equipment manufacturer (OEM) gas block of a firearm and having a passage extending through said end portion for routing combustion gases from the as-manufactured OEM gas block into a gas expansion chamber of the gas expansion assembly thereby allowing expansion of said gases therein for generating a bolt carrier driving force;
an operating rod driven bolt carrier including an operating rod engaging lug, wherein the operating rod driven bolt carrier is configured for being operably engaged within an as-manufactured OEM receiver body of the firearm with the operating rod engaging lug located in a gas tube lug receiving portion of the as-manufactured OEM receiver body;
an operating rod engagable between the gas expansion assembly and the operating rod engaging lug for exerting the bolt carrier driving force on the operating rod engaging lug;
the gas expansion assembly includes a gas spigot and a gas expansion device;
the gas expansion device including an expansion body and a piston;
the gas spigot includes a gas block interface portion, a gas expansion device interface portion and a passage extending therebetween;
the expansion body includes a passage extending between opposing end portions thereof;
the piston is slideably engagable within the expansion body passage through one of said opposing end portions for forming a gas expansion chamber within the expansion body passage between the piston and gas spigot and such that the expansion body and the piston define respective opposing end portions of the gas expansion device;
the gas expansion device interface portion of the gas spigot is engagable with a first one of said end portions of the gas expansion device in a manner whereby the gas spigot passage is communicatively coupled to the gas expansion chamber;
the gas block interface portion engagable with the as-manufactured OEM gas block;
the operating rod driven bolt carrier includes a plurality of bearing surface pad areas counteract an overturning moment resulting from force exerted on the operating rod engaging lug by the operating rod;
the operating rod engaging lug is located between a first one of said bearing surface pad areas and a second one of said bearing surface pad areas;
the first one of said bearing surface pad areas is located forward of the operating rod engaging lug with respect to a front end portion of the operating rod driven bolt carrier;
the second one of said bearing surface pad areas is located rearward of the operating rod engaging lug with respect to the front end portion of the operating rod driven bolt carrier;
the first one of said bearing surface pad areas is offset toward the operating rod engaging lug with respect to a centerline axis of the operating rod driven bolt carrier; and
the second one of said bearing surface pad areas is offset away from the operating rod engaging lug with respect to a centerline axis of the operating rod driven bolt carrier.
6. A kit for modifying a bolt carrier group actuating apparatus of a firearm configured by its original manufacturer to have a gas-driven bolt carrier, comprising:
a gas expansion assembly having an end portion thereof engagable with an as-manufactured original equipment manufacturer (OEM)gas block of a firearm and having a passage extending through said end portion for routing combustion gases from the as-manufactured OEM gas block into a gas expansion chamber of the gas expansion assembly thereby allowing expansion of said gases therein for generating a bolt carrier driving force;
an operating rod driven bolt carrier including an operating rod engaging lug, wherein the operating rod driven bolt carrier is configured for being operably engaged within an as-manufactured OEM receiver body of the firearm with the operating rod engaging lug located in a gas tube lug receiving portion of the as-manufactured OEM receiver body;
an operating rod engagable between the gas expansion assembly and the operating rod engaging lug for exerting the bolt carrier driving force on the operating rod engaging lug;
the gas expansion assembly includes a gas spigot and a gas expansion device;
the gas expansion device including an expansion body and a piston;
the gas spigot includes a gas block interface portion, a gas expansion device interface portion and a passage extending therebetween;
the expansion body includes a passage extending between opposing end portions thereof;
the piston is slideably engagable within the expansion body passage through one of said opposing end portions for forming a gas expansion chamber within the expansion body passage between the piston and gas spigot and such that the expansion body and the piston define respective opposing end portions of the gas expansion device;
the gas expansion device interface portion of the gas spigot is engagable with a first one of said end portions of the gas expansion device in a manner whereby the gas spigot passage is communicatively coupled to the gas expansion chamber;
the gas block interface portion engagable with the as-manufactured OEM gas block;
the gas expansion assembly includes a connecting link engagable between a second end portion of the gas expansion device and the operating rod;
the connecting link includes an operating rod engagement portion engagable with a mating engagement portion of the operating rod; and
said engagement portions jointly provide for a pivot interface between the operating rod and the connecting link.
7. The kit of claim 6 wherein:
at least one of the piston and the expansion body includes a gas vent hole extending therethrough for allowing release of at least a portion of said combustion gas dependent upon a relative longitudinal position of the piston within the expansion body passage; and
a centerline axis of the gas block interface portion is offset with respect to a centerline axis of the gas expansion device interface portion.
8. A kit for modifying a bolt carrier group actuating apparatus of a firearm configured by its original manufacturer to have a gas-driven bolt carrier, comprising:
a gas expansion device including an expansion body and a piston, wherein the expansion body includes a passage extending between opposing end portions thereof and wherein the piston is slideably engagable within the expansion body passage through one of said end portions thereof for forming a gas expansion chamber within the expansion body passage between the piston and gas spigot and the expansion body;
a gas spigot including a gas block interface portion, a gas expansion device interface portion and a passage extending therebetween, wherein the gas expansion device interface portion engagable with a first one of said end portions of the expansion body in a manner whereby the gas spigot passage is communicatively coupled to the gas expansion chamber, wherein the gas block interface portion is engageable with an as-manufactured OEM gas block of a firearm and wherein a centerline axis of the gas block interface portion is offset with respect to a centerline axis of the gas expansion device interface portion thereby allowing combustion gases from the as-manufactured OEM gas block to be routed therethrough;
an operating rod driven bolt carrier including an operating rod engaging lug;
a connecting link engagable with the piston and including an operating rod engagement portion;
an operating rod having a first end portion engagable with the operating rod engagement portion of the connecting link and a second end portion engagable with the operating rod engaging lug of the operating rod driven bolt carrier, wherein first end portion of the operating rod and the operating rod engagement portion of the connecting link are jointly provide a pivot interface between the operating rod and the connecting link; and
a helically wound return spring mountable on the operating rod for causing the connecting link to forcibly bias the gas expansion device to a prescribed at-rest orientation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A polishing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holding device configured to hold a substrate on a substrate holding surface; and
a substrate relay device configured to deliver the substrate to said substrate holding device and receive the substrate from said substrate holding device, said substrate relay device including:
a substrate placement section having a substrate placement surface on which the substrate is placed;
a moving mechanism configured to vertically move said substrate placement section; and
a mechanism for separating the substrate from said substrate holding device, said mechanism including a sharpened tip that is (1) arranged to move into a gap between said substrate holding device and a peripheral portion of the substrate held by said substrate holding device and (2) arranged to move away from said substrate holding device while said sharpened tip moves into contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate.
2. The polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate holding device has a passage configured to supply a pressurized fluid from said substrate holding surface to the substrate when the substrate is transferred from said substrate holding device to said substrate relay device.
3. The polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate holding device includes:
an elastic pad that includes said substrate holding surface, said elastic pad further including an opening connected to at least one of a fluid supply source and a vacuum source;
a support member configured to support said elastic pad; and
a substrate holding device body having a space to accommodate said elastic pad and said support member.
4. The polishing apparatus of claim 3, wherein said substrate holding device includes:
an abutment member attached to said support member, said abutment member having an elastic membrane brought into contact with said elastic pad;
a first pressure chamber defined between said substrate holding device body and said support member;
a second pressure chamber defined outside of said of said abutment member between said elastic pad and said support member; and
a third pressure chamber defined inside of said abutment member;
wherein said first pressure chamber, said second pressure chamber, and said third pressure chamber are independently connected to said at least one of a fluid supply source and a vacuum source.
5. The polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sharpened tip is vertically movable by a further moving mechanism for vertically moving said substrate relay device.
6. The polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sharpened tip is introduced into said gap by an actuator provided separately from said moving mechanism.
7. A polishing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holding device configured to hold a substrate on a substrate holding surface; and
a substrate relay device configured to deliver the substrate to said substrate holding device and receive the substrate from said substrate holding device, said substrate relay device including:
a substrate placement section having a substrate placement surface on which the substrate is placed;
a moving mechanism configured to vertically move said substrate placement section; and
a mechanism for separating the substrate from said substrate holding device, said mechanism including a tip that is (1) arranged to move into a gap between said substrate holding device and a peripheral portion of the substrate held by said substrate holding device and (2) arranged to move away from said substrate holding device while said tip moves into contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate.
8. The polishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said substrate holding device has a passage configured to supply a pressurized fluid from said substrate holding surface to the substrate when the substrate is transferred from said substrate holding device to said substrate relay device.
9. The polishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said substrate holding device includes:
an elastic pad that includes said substrate holding surface, said elastic pad further including an opening connected to at least one of a fluid supply source and a vacuum source;
a support member configured to support said elastic pad; and
a substrate holding device body having a space to accommodate said elastic pad and said support member.
10. The polishing apparatus of claim 9, wherein said substrate holding device includes:
an abutment member attached to said support member, said abutment member having an elastic membrane brought into contact with said elastic pad;
a first pressure chamber defined between said substrate holding device body and said support member;
a second pressure chamber defined outside of said of said abutment member between said elastic pad and said support member; and
a third pressure chamber defined inside of said abutment member;
wherein said first pressure chamber, said second pressure chamber, and said third pressure chamber are independently connected to said at least one of a fluid supply source and a vacuum source.
11. The polishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tip is vertically movable by a further moving mechanism for vertically moving said substrate relay device.
12. The polishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tip is introduced into said gap by an actuator provided separately from said moving mechanism.
13. The polishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tip is introduced into said gap by an actuator that pivots said tip about a horizontal axis.