Apparatus and method for discharging guiding elements

A discharge apparatus for discharging an assembly of interconnected guiding elements, each guiding element configured to carry a row of dispensing spouts and each dispensing spout being associated with a flexible pouch container, wherein each guiding element comprises one or more coupling elements arranged along at least a part of a length of each guiding element to releasably couple neighboring guiding elements, the discharge apparatus comprising:

• a support comprising at least one support section configured to support the assembly of interconnected guiding elements and the flexible pouch containers carried therein;
• a gripping unit configured to grip a first guiding element of the guiding element assembly and displace the first guiding element together with one or more interconnected further guiding elements of the guiding element assembly in a transport direction (PT) substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the first guiding element;
• and
• a disconnection unit configured to disconnect at least the gripped and displaced first guiding element from a neighboring second guiding element, the disconnection unit comprising a movable wedge and a wedge drive unit configured to move the wedge between the first and second guiding elements, thereby disconnecting the first guiding element from the second guiding element;
• wherein the gripping unit is configured to further move the disconnected first guiding element and the pouch containers carried therein in the transport direction (PT) to a discharge position.