A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace comprising: a stationary housing for mounting on the throat of the shaft furnace; a suspension rotor supported in said stationary housing so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis, said suspension rotor and stationary housing cooperating to delimit an annular chamber forming the main casing of said rotary charging device; a charge distributor pivotally suspended to said suspension rotor; rotary drive means for rotating the suspension rotor about its axis, said rotary drive means comprising a rotary motor (M R); tilting drive means for pivoting said charge distributor about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis, independently from said rotary drive means, wherein said tilting drive means comprises: a tilting motor (M B), preferably an electric motor, fixedly mounted relative to said stationary housing and laterally positioned relative to said suspension rotor, the tilting motor output shaft being preferably horizontal; a tilting drive shaft in said main casing that is mounted onto said suspension rotor, an outward, first end of said tilting drive shaft being coupled to said tilting motor (M B) by motion transfer means while the opposite, inward second end of said tilting drive shaft is coupled to said charge distributor to selectively operate its pivoting, said motion transfer means being configured for operating peripherally to said suspension rotor in such a way as to allow transmitting power from said tilting motor (M B) to said tilting drive shaft at any angular position of said suspension rotor; wherein said motion transfer means comprise a pair of rotationally integral large diameter toothed rings (66 1, 66 2) mounted in said main casing so as to be rotatable about said vertical axis, a first of said toothed rings (66 1) being drivingly connected to said tilting motor (M B), while the second toothed ring (66 2) is operatively coupled to said tilting drive shaft first end in such a way that the rotation of said toothed rings results in a corresponding rotation of said tilting drive shaft about its axis. a stationary housing for mounting on the throat of the shaft furnace; a suspension rotor supported in said stationary housing so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis, said suspension rotor and stationary housing cooperating to delimit an annular chamber forming the main casing of said rotary charging device; a charge distributor pivotally suspended to said suspension rotor; rotary drive means for rotating the suspension rotor about its axis, said rotary drive means comprising a rotary motor (M R); tilting drive means for pivoting said charge distributor about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis, independently from said rotary drive means, wherein said tilting drive means comprises: a tilting motor (M B), preferably an electric motor, fixedly mounted relative to said stationary housing and laterally positioned relative to said suspension rotor, the tilting motor output shaft being preferably horizontal; a tilting drive shaft in said main casing that is mounted onto said suspension rotor, an outward, first end of said tilting drive shaft being coupled to said tilting motor (M B) by motion transfer means while the opposite, inward second end of said tilting drive shaft is coupled to said charge distributor to selectively operate its pivoting, said motion transfer means being configured for operating peripherally to said suspension rotor in such a way as to allow transmitting power from said tilting motor (M B) to said tilting drive shaft at any angular position of said suspension rotor; wherein said motion transfer means comprise a pair of rotationally integral large diameter toothed rings (66 1, 66 2) mounted in said main casing so as to be rotatable about said vertical axis, a first of said toothed rings (66 1) being drivingly connected to said tilting motor (M B), while the second toothed ring (66 2) is operatively coupled to said tilting drive shaft first end in such a way that the rotation of said toothed rings results in a corresponding rotation of said tilting drive shaft about its axis. a tilting motor (M B), preferably an electric motor, fixedly mounted relative to said stationary housing and laterally positioned relative to said suspension rotor, the tilting motor output shaft being preferably horizontal; a tilting drive shaft in said main casing that is mounted onto said suspension rotor, an outward, first end of said tilting drive shaft being coupled to said tilting motor (M B) by motion transfer means while the opposite, inward second end of said tilting drive shaft is coupled to said charge distributor to selectively operate its pivoting, said motion transfer means being configured for operating peripherally to said suspension rotor in such a way as to allow transmitting power from said tilting motor (M B) to said tilting drive shaft at any angular position of said suspension rotor; wherein said motion transfer means comprise a pair of rotationally integral large diameter toothed rings (66 1, 66 2) mounted in said main casing so as to be rotatable about said vertical axis, a first of said toothed rings (66 1) being drivingly connected to said tilting motor (M B), while the second toothed ring (66 2) is operatively coupled to said tilting drive shaft first end in such a way that the rotation of said toothed rings results in a corresponding rotation of said tilting drive shaft about its axis.