Abstract: An installation for the mechanized loading of an armored weapon with large caliber cartridges consists of a conveyor device leading from the bottom of the loading area into the turret in the rear of the breech of the weapon with a conveyor container for holding the cartridge and a continuous belt driven by a motor, a guide device which has roller sets arranged in the area of each end of the transport container and two guide tracks, each assigned to one roller set, which lead the transport container with the inserted cartridge from an approximately vertical position on the bottom of the loading area to a horizontal position, level with the weapon, in front of the breech, and a rammer, accelerating the cartridge with open weapon breech into the weapon chamber.

Abstract: An armoured car or vehicle with front wheel drive has a vehicle hull and a turret with gun, as well as a front revolving magazine located on the bottom of the turret platform in the vicinity of the gun for large caliber ammunition inserted in upright form. In order to be able to carry maximum ammunition stocks within the vehicle and ensure a mechanized, automatic ammunition flow, on the bottom of the vehicle hull behind the front revolving magazine is provided a rear revolving magazine largely filling the rear vehicle space and receiving the ammunition in standing form and between the two revolving magazines is provided a transfer mechanism occupying an empty position on the front revolving magazine from the rear revolving magazine.

Abstract: In an armoured vehicle with a turret, a weapon mounted therein and a magazine housed in the armoured vehicle and receiving large calibre ammunition in the upright position in a concentric arrangement with respect to the turret rotation axis is arranged a loader, which has a loading arm gripping the ammunition on the magazine and raising it into an aligned position with the weapon bore axis, i.e. the loading position. The loader is arranged on a ring mount positioned roughly below the weapon breech block on the turret platform and whose rotation axis coincides with that of the turret and has a multilever guide supported on the ring mount and movable in a vertical plane, which raises the loading arm with the upright ammunition in a steep movement path and only towards the end of the movement path swings into the loading position.

Abstract: In an apparatus for loading guns, particularly tank howitzers, from a rotary magazine containing the shells and positioned below and alongside the gun barrel, for simplifying construction and movement sequences a substantially vertical loading arm pivotable about a vertical axis between a reception position in the vicinity of the rotary magazine and a position below and upstream of the gun barrel is provided, the loading arm having at least one gripper for a shell and in the last-mentioned position is pivotable about an approximately horizontal axis at right angles to the core axis of the gun barrel into a loading position from which the shell aligned with the core axis can be transported by a rammer into the gun chamber.

Abstract: An assembly for feeding projectile ammunition in an armored vehicle equipped with a rotating turret and weapon carrier utilizes a mother container disposed within the vehicle below the feed port to the weapon carrier. The mother container is movable inwardly and outwardly of the vehicle through a feed door and includes a multiplicity of ammunition containers therewithin. The conveyor system for moving the ammunition containers is disposed within the mother container and is extensible therefrom through the port to move ammunition containers between the mother container and the weapon carrier. The mother container makes it possible to load at one time a number of filled reserve containers, together with their conveyor, after the mother container in use, possibly containing individual containers exhausted by firing, has been removed from the armored vehicle.

Abstract: On a device for feeding shell ammunition within an armored vehicle (1) featuring a rotatable turret (3) with a shield (4) rising on it as a bearing for a weapon carrier (8) which carries sideways its shell magazine fashioned as a container (11, 11') there is provided, inside a vehicle (1), a horizontally extending container switching chute (12) within which there are located two container reloading stations (13, 13') which are so arranged, below openings (14, 14') in the ceiling armor (5), that they will be in alignment with two container shoes (15, 15') fitted to both sides of the weapon support (8), in an angular position of the turret (3) coinciding with an index position and at an elevation angle coinciding with an index position. The space between container reloading station and container shoe is being bridged by transport facilities (16). Two containers (11, 11') can be arranged on the two sides of the weapon support (8) in a detachably lockable and ejectable manner.

Abstract: A turret assembly for an armored vehicle has an opening in its top wall and a weapon chamber member therein below that opening. Pivotably mounted in the weapon chamber is a weapon carrier, and both the weapon carrier and the weapon chamber member are open at the top portions thereof aligned with the opening in the top wall of the turret to permit mounting and dismounting of the weapon from the exterior of the turret. A cover is pivotably secured to the carrier at the port end thereof and substantially closes the opening in the turret in combination with the carrier in its various pivoted positions. The cover is comprised of at least two articulated elements which move with the carrier in its pivoting and which are slidable relative to the turret top wall.

Abstract: The armored vehicle comprises on or in its armored body, a revolving turret and a shieldplate mounted thereon as a bearing for a gun carrier which carries a cartridge magazine designed as a container located laterally (to the left and/or right) or at the top or bottom or behind the gun carrier. The armored body has a closable opening therein, and a horizontal container slideway with a container reloading station is located within the armored body. At an indexed rotational position of the turret and simultaneously at a vertical indexed angular position of the gun carrier an empty container can be guided with the aid of a conveyor downward through the opening into the container reloading station and can be removed then by a loaded container moving up. The loaded container can then be brought by the conveyor upward into the locking position at the gun carrier.

Abstract: An ammunition container has an ammunition supporting platform which is movable upwardly within the outer housing by springs which are loaded by the weight of the ammunition supported thereon. As the ammunition is used, the decrease in the weight of the ammunition thereon allows the springs to recover and elevate the platform to provide a relatively constant upper position for the upper plane of the ammunition supported on the platform.

Abstract: An apparatus for locking a weapon support in either a zero position or any weapon-firing position relative to the turret of an armored vehicle. The apparatus includes a bore formed in the weapon support, a casing provided in the turret, and a bolt which engages the bore and protrudes through the casing into the interior of the armored vehicle. The bolt is spring-biased axially into engagement with the bore and the casing includes a gate. The bolt includes an index pin which engages the gate, the gate having first, second, and third defined positions for the index pin for latching and unlatching the weapon support.

Abstract: An armored vehicle having a full-circle swivelable turret and a weapon which outside the turret is elevationally aimable on a weapon support connected to the turret includes a mechanism for selectively securing, releasing, and partially releasing the weapon support exclusively from the turret interior and for triggering a signal when the weapon support is secured. When the weapon support is secured the weapon is maintained in a fixed position, and when the weapon support is released the weapon can be moved into any firing position. The mechanism allows personnel to remain inside the armored protection when securing and releasing the weapon support.

Abstract: An automatic gun mounting system, comprises a weapon support having respective end portions with respective first and second angularly spaced bearing bushings. A gun which has a recoiling barrel, particularly for armored wheeled half track or full track motor vehicles has a gun body portion with respective outwardly extending bearing pins engaged in respective first and second bearing bushings. A resilient assembly is disposed between each of the pins and its associated bushing and it includes inner and outer radially spaced apart concentric bushing rings with a rubber ring disposed therebetween undetachably interconnecting the outer and inner bushing rings. The rubber ring is advantageously vulcanized to the respective inner and outer rings.