Assembly for positioning and holding projectile on stretcher, and loading aid comprising the same

Abstract

To improve the positioning and retention of a projectile within a stretcher, ensuring perfect alignment of the projectile with a weapon chamber when firing.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an assembly (5) for positioning and holding a projectile (2) in a stretcher (3), and to a loading aid (1) including such an assembly. The assembly includes at least one arm pivotally mounted between a raised position in which a projectile can be placed in the stretcher, and a lowered position in which the at least one arm (8) cooperates with the projectile received in the stretcher to ensure alignment of the projectile with a longitudinal axis (X0) of the stretcher. The at least one arm is intended to cooperate with drive means (4) of the stretcher and is pivoted from the raised position to the lowered position by an actuation mechanism capable of transmitting the movement of the drive means to the at least one arm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technical field of the invention is devices for loading projectiles into the chambers of large-caliber weapons, and more particularly devices including a stretcher intended to receive a projectile and movable to access the chamber of the weapon and to aid in ramming the projectile. [Background technology]

[0002] It is well known to load large-caliber weapons with ammunition using a stretcher for receiving the projectile.

[0003] For example, French Patent FR3114384 describes an apparatus for loading artillery shells into a weapon chamber, the apparatus comprising a stretcher slidably mounted on a stretcher support connected to the weapon by a series of connecting rods which pivot relative to the weapon to displace the stretcher.

[0004] French patent FR3043190 describes such a stretcher in more detail, which is equipped with a rammer intended to abut the bottom of a projectile received in the stretcher and to apply a thrust to the projectile.

[0005] French patent FR 2 721 387 also describes a stretcher for receiving shells introduced into the axis of the chamber by rotation, more specifically by a rotating cylinder with a helical piston, which has the advantage of being equipped with an anti-ejection device that prevents the shell from being ejected during rotation of the stretcher.

[0006] French Patent FR2796713 further discloses a stretcher equipped with a device for preventing the ejection of artillery shells during displacement of the stretcher. More specifically, the patent discloses a stretcher equipped with a chain rammer supporting a locking means for automatically locking an artillery shell when it is placed on the stretcher. The locking means is in the form of an eccentric cam, which allows the shell to be placed on the stretcher but prevents it from being extracted radially by an over-center lock.

[0007] The ejection prevention device of patent FR2721387 and the locking means of patent FR2796713, while effective in preventing the shells from being ejected during stretcher movement, do not position the shells within the stretcher and hold them in that position, more particularly, do not align the shells with the longitudinal axis of the stretcher.

[0008] However, aligning the projectile with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, and thus with the longitudinal axis of the barrel into which it is placed, is necessary to ensure that the projectile is properly positioned in the weapon chamber. In fact, if the projectile is not perfectly aligned with the longitudinal axis of the stretcher, there is a risk of the projectile being misplaced in the weapon chamber, creating a safety hazard. For example, if the projectile is placed at an angle in the chamber, it may decelerate to the level of the forcing ramp and not properly engage with the forcing ramp, resulting in a miss. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention therefore aims to provide a solution that not only prevents the ejection of shells during stretcher displacement, but also improves the positioning and retention of shells within the stretcher, thus ensuring perfect alignment of the shell with the weapon chamber upon ejection.

[0010] The solution according to the invention is based on the arrangement of at least one arm movable between a raised position, which allows the projectile to be placed on the stretcher, and a lowered position, which allows the projectile to be accurately placed in the stretcher and to be maintained in the correct position before it is pushed towards the front of the stretcher, in particular at the bottom of the stretcher and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the stretcher.

[0011] The present invention therefore relates to a positioning and position-maintaining assembly for positioning and maintaining in position a projectile, such as an artillery shell, on a stretcher having a longitudinal axis, the stretcher being movable by means of movable drive means between a first position, referred to as a projectile placement position, and a second position, referred to as a projectile launch position, the positioning and position-maintaining assembly comprising: at least one movable arm intended to be pivotally mounted about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the at least one arm, the movable arm being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stretcher in use between a raised position allowing a projectile to be placed on the stretcher and a lowered position in which a bearing surface is cooperable with a projectile received on the stretcher to align the projectile with the longitudinal axis of the stretcher; a pivoting mechanism intended to cooperate with the drive means and arranged to translate the movement of the drive means during the displacement of the stretcher from the deployed position to the launched position into a pivoting of at least one arm from the raised position to the lowered position; and and a resilient return means for returning the at least one arm to its raised position after the stretcher is placed in the launch position.

[0012] Such an assembly, applied to a projectile-loading stretcher and arranged and configured to allow a projectile to be placed on the stretcher, not only prevents the projectile from recoiling radially before it is fired, but also aligns the longitudinal axis of the projectile with the longitudinal axis of the stretcher and, in turn, with the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel into which it is fired, thereby enabling the assembly of the present invention to improve safety by positioning and maintaining the projectile in the correct position within the stretcher.

[0013] Preferably, the bearing surface has a concave longitudinal shape, which is particularly suitable for projectiles that include a body having a cylindrical portion and a conical portion.

[0014] Preferably, the assembly includes a pair of arms connected to one another by an actuation rod having a longitudinal axis that is coaxial with the pivot in use, the actuation rod being fixed to the pivot mechanism and rotatable about the pivot, the two arms being spaced apart along the actuation rod, the two arm arrangement providing better support and resulting in improved positioning of the projectile relative to the bottom surface of the stretcher without unduly increasing the weight of the assembly.

[0015] Advantageously, the actuation rod is a torsion bar, which helps to take into account the variable geometry of the projectile by allowing the arms to have different angular positions relative to each other in the lowered position.

[0016] Preferably, the elastic return means is formed by a return spring, in particular a helical torsion spring mounted coaxially or parallel to the pivot axis, which is a simple and inexpensive return means for returning the at least one arm to a raised position in the absence of rotational movement of the stretcher, which, in use, allows the ejection of a deployed projectile and the deployment of a new projectile.

[0017] According to a particular embodiment, the pivoting mechanism comprises: a pusher intended to cooperate with the drive means and mounted slidably along a slide axis perpendicular to the pivot axis; a rocker coupled to the pusher and pivotally mounted about an axis perpendicular to the slide axis of the pusher and parallel to the pivot axis of the at least one arm; a copy-back connecting rod connected between the rocker and the actuating member by two pivotal connections with parallel axes; and an actuation member pivotally mounted about a pivot axis of the at least one arm and rotatably secured to the at least one arm, optionally to an actuation rod; The pivoting mechanism is arranged so that translation of the pusher under the movement of the drive means causes the rocker to pivot, resulting in displacement of the copyback connecting rod and pivoting of the actuating member and therefore the at least one arm about the pivot axis.

[0018] Such a mechanism has the advantage of being highly reliable and having a small number of parts.

[0019] Advantageously, the pivoting mechanism is configured so that the at least one movable arm pivots through an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

[0020] The present invention also relates to a loading aid for loading projectiles, such as artillery shells, into the chambers of a weapon, said device comprising a stretcher for receiving the projectiles and drive means for driving the stretcher and moving it between a first position, called the projectile placement position, and a second position, called the projectile launch position, said device further comprising a positioning and position-keeping assembly as defined above, said assembly being fixed to the stretcher and being arranged on a side of the stretcher so that the pivot axis of at least one arm is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stretcher.

[0021] Thus, the control of the pivoting mechanism by the drive means of the stretcher places the positioning and position-holding assembly in its lowered position, and during the displacement of the stretcher from the deployed position to the launching position, the projectile is pressed against the bottom surface of the stretcher, and when the launching position is reached and there is no displacement of the stretcher, the assembly is returned to its raised position, placing the projectile on the stretcher at the deployed position and enabling the projectile to be launched at the launching position.

[0022] Preferably, the pivot axis of at least one arm lies in the plane of the side surface above and adjacent the upper edge of the side surface of the stretcher.

[0023] In a particular embodiment, the drive means comprises a set of connecting rods intended for articulation between the weapon and the stretcher about an articulation shaft perpendicular to the pivot axis of the at least one arm, one of the connecting rods of the set of connecting rods comprising receiving means for receiving a rotational movement of the connecting rod and cooperable with the pivoting mechanism of the at least one arm.

[0024] Preferably, the receiving means is a cam track formed on the connecting rod.

[0025] Preferably, the receiving means is formed on the rear connecting rod of the pair of connecting rods and the pivoting mechanism is positioned near the rear end of the projectile placement zone of the stretcher. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] In order to better explain the subject matter of the present invention, specific embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a positioning and position-maintaining assembly according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a lateral side view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a rear three-quarter perspective view of the transport assist device of the present invention with a projectile loaded on a stretcher and the positioning and position-maintaining assembly shown in FIG. 1 in a raised position. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but with the positioning and position-maintaining assembly shown in FIG. 1 in a lowered position. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a top view of the device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the device shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a detailed top view showing the cooperation of the positioning and position-maintaining assembly with the rear connecting rod of the means for driving the stretcher in rotation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] 4 to 7, it can be seen that the loading aid 1 for loading a projectile 2 into the chamber of a weapon according to the invention comprises, in known manner, a stretcher 3 and drive means 4 for the stretcher 3. The loading aid 1 according to the invention further comprises a positioning and position-keeping assembly 5, hereinafter more simply "assembly 5", for positioning and keeping the projectile 2 in the stretcher 3, and more particularly for pressing the projectile 2 against the bottom surface of the stretcher 3 in a pressing position in which, during displacement of the stretcher 3, the longitudinal axis of the projectile 2 is coaxial with the longitudinal axis X0 of the stretcher 3.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 , the stretcher 3 is a well-known stretcher 3, as described, for example, in French Patent FR3043190. The stretcher 3 includes a substantially semi-cylindrical, linear trough 30 that can receive a projectile 2 that can be placed in the stretcher 3 from above using a placement means (not shown), such as a clamp. The concave, open surface of the trough 30 defines a placement zone for the projectile 2. The diameter of the placement zone is slightly larger than the diameter of the projectile 2. Side beams 31, 32 extend opposite each other along the longitudinal direction of the trough 30 on both sides of the trough 30. This positions the projectile 2, such as a shell, placed on the stretcher 3 on the trough 30 and between the side beams 31, 32. A positioning ring 33 is provided at the front end 3a of the stretcher 3 for connecting the stretcher 3 to the entrance of the chamber of a weapon (not shown). At the rear end 3b of the stretcher 3 there is provided a rammer 6 movable along the stretcher 3 to push the projectiles 2 received on the trough 30 towards the chamber of the weapon.

[0030] The drive means 4 moves the stretcher 3 from a first position, called the projectile 2 placement position, to a second position, called the projectile 2 launch position.

[0031] The drive means 4 for the stretcher 3, partially shown in Figures 4 to 8, is a known means, as described, for example, in French Patent FR 3114384. The means 4 comprise connecting rods, including a front carrying connecting rod and a rear carrying connecting rod 40, connected to both the stretcher 3 and the weapon, the pivoting of which relative to the weapon displaces the stretcher 3 between the deployed position and the launched position. In the particular embodiment shown, as shown in Figures 4 to 8, the rear carrying connecting rod 40 is intended to cooperate with the pivoting mechanism of the positioning and position-keeping assembly 5. This connecting rod 40 is connected at its first end 40a to the stretcher 3 and carries a vertical articulated shaft 41 housed in a hole provided in the convex lower surface of the trough 30 of the stretcher 3.

[0032] As shown in more detail in FIGS. 6 and 8, the connecting rod 40 further carries at its first end 40 a receiving means 42 for receiving the rotational movement of the connecting rod 40 .

[0033] In the particular embodiment shown, the receiving means 42 is a cam track formed on the lever 40. Here, the cam track is defined by the side of the first end 40a of the lever 40. The cam track includes a generally V-shaped recessed zone 42a located on the first longitudinal side 40b of the connecting rod 40, on the side of the positioning and position-retaining assembly 5, at the position of the articulation shaft 41. This recessed zone 42a is rounded to ensure jam-free transmission of rotational motion. The recessed zone 42a continues into a rounded bulge zone 42b, where the connecting rod 40 increases in width, followed by a flat surface 42c that generally originates from the longitudinal axis Xb of the connecting rod 40 and connects to the second longitudinal side 40c of the connecting rod 40. The flat surface 42c is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis Xb.

[0034] The assembly 5 according to the invention is connected to the stretcher 3 and is arranged on a side of the stretcher 3, more particularly on the side of the stretcher 3 facing the cam track. More precisely, the assembly 5 is connected to the stretcher 3 by means of a support structure comprising an upper flange 70 fixed to the upper edge of the side beam 31 and a lower flange 71 fixed to the lower edge of said beam 31, the flanges 70, 71 being located near the rear end of the deployment zone of the projectile 2, the lower flange 71 being aligned laterally with the articulated shaft 41 of the rear connecting rod 40.

[0035] The assembly 5 shown in Figures 1 to 8 includes a pair of arms 8 movable between raised and lowered positions, a pivoting mechanism 9 for moving the arms 8 from the raised position to the lowered position, and a return means 10 for returning the arms 8 to the raised position.

[0036] The two movable arms 8 are constructed and arranged so that in the raised position (FIGS. 4 and 7) they lie in the plane of the side beams 31, and in the lowered position (FIG. 5) they contact the projectile 2 and press it against the bottom of the stretcher 3. The two arms 8 are spaced apart from each other along the side beams 31, that is, along the length of the stretcher 3, and extend parallel and aligned in the longitudinal direction. Each arm 8 has a concave longitudinal profile and an opposite convex longitudinal profile. The concave longitudinal profile faces towards the inside of the stretcher 3, and its surface (called the support surface 80) is intended to cooperate with the shape of the projectile 2.

[0037] One longitudinal end of each arm 8 is free, and the other longitudinal end of each arm 8 is fixed to a common actuation rod 11. The actuation rod 11 is a cylindrical rod that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of each arm 8 and is mounted so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis A0 that is parallel to the longitudinal axis X0 of the stretcher 3 when in use. Preferably, the actuation rod 11 is a torsion bar.

[0038] The actuation rod 11 has its longitudinal axis coaxial with the pivot axis A0 and is received in a corresponding hole in the upper flange 70. This mounts the actuation rod 11, and thus the arm 8, so that it can rotate only about the pivot axis A0.

[0039] Between its rear end and one of the arms 8, the actuating rod 11 also carries an actuating member 12 of the pivoting mechanism 9. The actuating member 12 is in the form of a lug whose one end is fixed to the actuating rod 11 and is therefore pivotable about a pivot axis A0, and whose other end is connected to a copy-back connecting rod 52 of the mechanism 9.

[0040] A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described which uses a pair of arms 8. However, it is also possible to provide a single arm or more than two arms, for example two pairs of arms spaced apart from one another.

[0041] The pivoting mechanism 9 is mounted between an actuating rod 11 and a connecting rod 40. As can be seen in more detail in Figures 1 to 3, in addition to the actuating member 12, the mechanism 9 includes three other movable articulated members: a pusher 50, a rocker 51, and a copyback connecting rod 52.

[0042] The pusher 50 includes a base portion 50a, a connecting portion 50b, and a cooperating portion 50c, which are integrally formed. The base portion 50a is, for example, a plate-like member having a rectangular cross section and is slidably received in a pair of mating grooves formed in the lower flange 71. This allows the pusher 50 to be mounted for movement relative to the stretcher 3 along a sliding axis X1. The sliding axis X1 is perpendicular to the pivot axis A0 and lies in a plane parallel to the plane of the connecting rod 40. The connecting portion 50b is carried by the base portion 50a and extends upward from the base portion 50a to substantially the center of the base portion 50a. The connecting portion 50b includes a linear slot 500 that opens facing the base portion 50a and can pivotally and slidably receive one of the shafts of the rocker arm 51. The cooperating portion 50c extends from the connecting portion 50b toward a cam track carried by the connecting rod 40. The cooperating part 50c is rod-shaped and its free end cooperating with the cam track is cylindrical, so that pivoting of the connecting rod 40 displaces the cam track relative to the cooperating part 50c and pushes the pusher 50 to move along its sliding axis X1.

[0043] The rocker 51 includes three shafts 510, 511, and 512 arranged at the vertices of a triangle when viewed from the side: the shaft 510 is received in the slot 500 of the pusher 50, the shaft 511 is mounted for rotation in a corresponding hole in the lower flange 71, and the shaft 512 is connected to the copy-back connecting rod 52. The three shafts 510, 511, and 512 are parallel to each other and to the pivot axis A0 of the arm 8. More specifically, the rocker 51 may have two lugs 513 facing each other and arranged on either side of the connecting portion 50b, and these two lugs 513 are connected by the shaft 510 received in the pusher 50 and the shaft 511 received in the flange 71. The shaft 512 connected to the copy-back connecting rod 52 here consists of two coaxial cylindrical pivot pins extending on either side of the two lugs 513.

[0044] The copyback connecting rod 52 connects the rocker 51 to the actuating member 12 via a pivot connection having an axis parallel to the pivot axis A0. The pivot connection between the copyback connecting rod 52 and the rocker 51 is defined here by two coaxial cylindrical pivots, namely by shafts 512, which pass through two lugs 513 of the rocker 51 and two corresponding lugs 523 at the lower end of the copyback connecting rod 52. The pivot connection between the copyback connecting rod 52 and the actuating member 12 is defined by a shaft 520, which is arranged above the shafts 512 and which passes through the actuating member 12 and two corresponding lugs 521 at the upper end of the copyback connecting rod 52.

[0045] The return means 10 for returning the arms 8 to the raised position is formed by a return spring, in particular a helical torsion spring, mounted around the actuating rod 11, with one end of the spring fixed to the actuating rod 11 and the other end fixed to the upper flange 70. Such a spring is shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 1 and 2. The return means 10 is arranged and configured so that the actuating rod 11 rotates about the pivot axis A0 in the absence of resistance from the pusher 50, i.e., the connecting rod 40. More specifically, the return means 10 allows the actuating rod 11 to rotate by approximately 90 degrees, corresponding to an angular displacement of the pair of arms 8. This moves the arms 8 from a lowered, substantially horizontal position to a raised, substantially vertical position. In the raised position, the arms 8 have their free ends extending upward and positioned outside the mounting surface.

[0046] Such a mechanism 9 allows the rotational movement of the connecting rod 40, which occurs when the stretcher 3 is displaced from the deployed position to the launch position, to be reliably and simply converted into a rotational movement of the arm 8 towards its lowered position, thus positioning and maintaining the projectile 2 received on the stretcher 3 coaxially with the longitudinal axis X0 of the stretcher 3 before the projectile 2 is pushed towards the front of the stretcher 3.

[0047] When the stretcher 3 is in the deployed position, the projectile 2 is deployed in the stretcher 3. In the deployed position, the cooperating part 50c is located in the recessed zone 42a of the cam track, so that no outward pushing force acts on the pusher 50 and the movable arm 8 is in the raised position due to the action of the return means 10. At the end of deployment, the projectile 2 is positioned in the stretcher 3 with its base abutting the rammer 6.

[0048] When the drive means 4 moves in a rotational manner to move the stretcher 3 into the launching position, the connecting rod 40 pivots, causing the cam track to cooperate with the cooperating portion 50c of the pusher 50, as can be seen in Figures 6 to 8.

[0049] More specifically, during pivoting of the connecting rod 40 from the deployed position, the bulge zone 42b pushes the cooperating part 40c in a direction away from the articulation shaft 41, causing the pusher 50 to move within the plane of the connecting rod 40 and along the slide axis X1, which causes the rocker 51 to tilt relative to the fixed lower flange 71 in a direction in which the connecting shaft 512 with the copyback connecting rod 52 rises towards the stretcher 3, in other words, clockwise when viewed in Figure 3. This causes the copyback connecting rod 52 to rise.

[0050] Due to the pivot connection between the copyback connecting rod 52 and the actuating member 12 about the shaft 520, this upward movement causes the actuating member 12 to pivot about the pivot axis A0, which in turn causes the arm 8 to pivot about the pivot axis A0 toward the projectile 2 until the support surface 80 contacts the projectile 2, which contact position is the lowered position of the arm 8. The contact of the arm 8 with the projectile 2 allows the projectile 2 to be pressed against the bottom surface of the stretcher 3, thereby aligning the longitudinal axis of the projectile 2 with the longitudinal axis X0 of the stretcher 3 and centering and maintaining the projectile 2 in the positioning ring 33. Thus, placing the arm 8 in the lowered position ensures that the projectile 2 does not become dislodged from its axis before being pushed toward the front of the stretcher 3.

[0051] Upon reaching the launch position, the cooperating part 50c abuts against the plane 42c, and the inclination of the connecting rod 40 relative to the longitudinal axis Xb allows the cooperating part 50c, and therefore the pusher 50, to move closer to the articulated shaft 41 under the action of the return means 10, which simultaneously returns the arm 8 to its raised position. The projectile 2 can then be pushed towards the front of the stretcher 3 by the pushing action of the rammer 6.

[0052] It will be understood that the particular embodiments described are illustrative and not limiting and that modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A positioning and position-maintaining assembly (5) for positioning and maintaining in position a projectile (2), such as a cannonball, on a stretcher (3) having a longitudinal axis (X0), the stretcher (3) being movable by means of a movable drive means (4) between a first position, called a placement position of the projectile (2), and a second position, called a launch position of the projectile (2), the positioning and position-maintaining assembly (5) comprising: at least one movable arm (8) including a support surface (80), the at least one arm (8) being pivotable about a pivot axis (AO) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the at least one arm (8) and parallel to the longitudinal axis (XO) of the stretcher (3) in use, and intended to be pivotally mounted between a raised position in which a projectile (2) can be placed on the stretcher (3), and a lowered position in which the support surface (80) cooperates with the projectile (2) received in the stretcher (3) to ensure alignment of the projectile (2) with the longitudinal axis (XO) of the stretcher (3); a pivoting mechanism (9) intended to cooperate with the drive means (4) and arranged to translate the movement of the drive means (4) during the displacement of the stretcher (3) from the deployed position to the launched position into a pivoting movement of at least one arm (8) from the raised position to the lowered position; and elastic return means (10) for returning at least one arm (8) to its raised position once the stretcher (3) has been placed in the launch position; An assembly (5) comprising:

2. 2. An assembly (5) according to claim 1, comprising a pair of arms (8) connected to each other by an actuating rod (11) having a longitudinal axis which in use is coaxial with a pivot axis (A0), the actuating rod (11) being fixed to a pivoting mechanism and rotatable about the pivot axis (A0), the two arms (8) being spaced apart from each other along the actuating rod (11).

3. Assembly (5) according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuating rod (11) is a torsion bar.

4. Assembly (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic return means (10) are formed by a return spring (10), in particular a helical torsion spring, mounted coaxially with or parallel to the pivot axis (A0).

5. The pivoting mechanism (9) a pusher (50) intended to cooperate with the drive means (4) and mounted slidably along a slide axis (X1) perpendicular to the pivot axis (A0); a rocker (51) coupled to the pusher (50) and pivotally mounted about an axis perpendicular to the slide axis (X1) of the pusher (50) and parallel to the pivot axis (A0) of the at least one arm (8); a copy-back connecting rod (52) connected between the rocker (51) and the actuating member (12) by two pivot connections having parallel axes; Assembly (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating member (12) is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis (A0) of the at least one arm (8) and is rotatably fixed to the at least one arm (8) and, if necessary, to the actuating rod (11), and the pivoting mechanism is configured such that, under the action of the drive means (4), the pusher (50) moves, causing the rocker (51) to pivot, thereby displacing the copy-back connecting rod (52) and causing the actuating member (12) and therefore the at least one arm (8) to pivot about the pivot axis (A0).

6. Assembly (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivoting mechanism (9) is configured so that the pivoting angle of at least one arm (8) is approximately 90 degrees.

7. A loading aid (1) for loading a projectile (2), such as a shell, into the chamber of a weapon, comprising a stretcher (3) for receiving the projectile (2) and a stretcher (3) drive means (4) for moving the stretcher (3) between a first position, called the projectile (2) placement position, and a second position, called the projectile (2) launch position, The device (1) further comprises a positioning and position-maintaining assembly (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is fixed to the stretcher (3) and has a pivot axis (A0) of at least one arm (8) parallel to the longitudinal axis (X0) of the stretcher (3) and located on a side of the stretcher (3).

8. 8. The device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the drive means (4) comprise a set of connecting rods intended to be connected between the weapon and the stretcher (3) about an articulated shaft perpendicular to the pivot axis (AO) of at least one arm (8), one of the set of connecting rods (40) comprising receiving means (42) for receiving a rotational movement of the connecting rod (40) and capable of cooperating with the pivoting mechanism (9) of at least one arm (8).

9. 9. Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving means (42) are cam tracks formed on the connecting rod (40).

10. 9. The device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving means (42) is formed on the rear connecting rod (40) of the set of connecting rods, and the pivoting mechanism is located near the rear end of the projectile (2) placement zone of the stretcher (3).

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