Patent ID: 9702673
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: F42B

Claim:
1. A tail boom for a gun-launched projectile, comprising: a boom housing having a central longitudinal axis, a forward end configured to engage a projectile body and a through bore; a cap fixed to a rear end of the boom housing, the cap including an outer cylindrical portion that engages a surface of the through bore in the housing and an inner cylindrical portion having a bore therein; a piston centered on the central longitudinal axis and translatable in the through bore in the boom housing, the piston having a forward curved surface and a stem that extends rearward, the stem being translatable in and engaging a surface of the bore of the inner cylindrical portion of the cap; a compression spring disposed around the inner cylindrical portion of the cap, one end of the compression spring bearing on the piston and the other end of the compression spring bearing on the cap to bias the piston in a forward direction; and a plurality of fins rotatably fixed to the boom housing, each fin including a protruding portion that extends into a forward translation path of the piston in a stowed position of the fins.