Patent ID: 8747047

Claim:
A device for unloading a compartment tray comprising: an inlet conveyor which delivers a full compartment tray to a first turning unit that is disposed at a terminal portion of the inlet conveyor, the full compartment tray having been filled with rod shaped elements; an outlet conveyor which delivers an empty compartment tray from a second turning unit that is disposed at a front portion of the outlet conveyor, the outlet conveyor being disposed at a same height as the inlet conveyor; an unloading conveyor which unloads the rod shaped elements into an immovable throat, an end portion of the unloading conveyor abutting an inlet of the immovable throat; an out-feeding conveyor which receives and outfeeds the rod shaped elements that have been unloaded into the immovable throat, the out-feeding conveyor being disposed below the unloading conveyor and being connected to the unloading conveyor via the immovable throat; and a linear transporter that is mounted above the first turning unit and the second turning unit, wherein the linear transporter comprises a first gripping unit which is disposed above the unloading conveyor and which moves the full compartment tray, and a second gripping unit which moves the empty compartment tray, and wherein a distance between the first gripping unit and the unloading conveyor is substantially the same as a height of the compartment tray.