Transportation device with star wheels

A transportation device for transporting sausage-shaped products, like sausages, with suspension elements from a clipping machine to a handling device for said sausage-shaped products including a bar-shaped storing element, the transportation device comprising:

• a conveying unit for conveying a sausage-shaped product just produced out of the clipping machine in a transportation direction,
• a catching unit for catching the suspension element attached to one end of the sausage-shaped product, and a guide unit for guiding the suspension element caught by the catching unit to said handling device, and comprising a longitudinally extending guide element and supporting means for supporting the guide element, wherein the supporting means provide a passage way for the suspension element to be guided along the guide element,
• where the supporting means includes gear wheels arranged rotatably about an at least substantially horizontally aligned axis and engaging the guide element;
• and where ratchets are provided for engaging the gear wheels and adapted to position a gap between two subsequent teeth of said gear wheels in the passage way of said suspension element.