Abstract: An automatic weapons fed by a cartridge belt comprising a trigger and a feed mechanism for feeding the cartridge belt by applying traction force to the belt to advance the belt from a casing in which the belt is placed in overlapping folds. A feed assisting mechanism is provided for applying additional traction to the belt and comprises a star-shaped rotor in mesh with the cartridge belt in a zone situated downstream of the feed mechanism and an electrical motor drivingly coupled to the rotor and coupled to the trigger to furnish a torque whose energization is controlled by the operation of the trigger so that each time the trigger is activated the motor is energized. The feed assisting mechanism is disposed on a guide passage for the cartridge belt disposed between the feed mechanism on the weapon and the casing for the belt.

Abstract: An observation post for military equipment such as a turret for an armored car comprising a structure having an opening through which at least the head of an observer can pass, and a sealable enclosure for the opening including an inner transparent cap fitted at the opening, and an outer armored hatch cover for covering the inner cap. The outer cover can be selectively opened and closed independently of the inner cap. The transparent cap may also be operable independently of the armored cover and advantageously the cap and the armored cover are respectively pivotable about a common axis. A closure latch can be carried by the armored cover for automatically locking the cover when it is closed, the closure latch being unlocked from within the observation post by manually operating a handle. A closure latch can also be carried by a frame of the cap for automatically locking the cap when it is closed, the latch being unlocked from within the observation post.

Abstract: An observation post such as a turret having an observation opening allowing passage of the head of an operator therethrough, the opening being preferably closable by an armored hatch cover. An external viewing device is mounted outside the turret and is employed by the operator with his head disposed in the observation opening, and an internal viewing device is mounted inside the turret below the external viewing device and parallel thereto, the internal viewing device being of greater precision and having a reduced field of view as compared to the external viewing device. The viewing devices are coupled together to be maintained parallel to one another.