Patent ID: 8100621

Claim:
A discharge hopper for a tray discharge station for serially discharging a shaft tray having shafts filled with rod-shaped products, comprising: a conveying element for carrying away the products flowing from the shaft tray; a connecting device to couple the shaft tray to be emptied to the conveying element, the connecting device being arranged substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the conveying element to form a channel for the product flow and comprising an opening for passage of the products from the shaft tray into the channel; a movable actuating element, wherein the actuating element comprises a slide, and wherein the slide is movable within the channel in a direction of transport and in a direction opposite the direction of transport of the products carried away by the conveying element; and a closure unit functionally coupled to the movable actuating element and constructed to open and close the opening in the connecting device, whereby the shaft tray is emptied shaft by shaft.