Device for forwarding large-caliber shells to a heavy weapon, especially in an armored howitzer

A device for forwarding large-caliber shells to a heavy weapon,

• wherein the shells are laid in a readiness tray by a shell transporter provided with a shell grip,
• wherein the readiness tray can be displaced horizontally along a forwarding path and pivoted up around a horizontal axis at the end of the path into an essentially vertical attitude,
• wherein the shell is transferred from the readiness tray to a loading tray positioned on the free end of a shell-release arm that pivots around the weapon's trunnions, characterized by a mechanism on the readiness tray (1) that axially brakes and fixes any shell (GS) laid therein and by a shell support (3) at the end (1.1) of the readiness tray associated with the point of the shell that supports the shell therein in the vicinity of its ogive, whereby the shell support is mounted on a supporting-lever rod (4 & 5) that can be lowered against the force of a spring, its descent being blocked by a blocking mechanism during a prescribed length of the readiness tray's travel along its forwarding path (2), and
• wherein said supporting-lever rod is in the form of an articulated-lever system that comprises two supporting levers, the first said lever (4) able to pivot on the base of the readiness tray (1) and the second lever (5) being articulated at one end (5.1) to the free end (4.2) of the first supporting lever, whereby the first supporting lever slopes up in the direction the shell lies in, with the shell support (3) mounted on its free end, and whereby the second supporting lever slopes down in the direction the shell lies in, with its other end (5.2) attached to the base of the readiness tray (1) by way of the blocking mechanism and sliding axially.