Rack structure

In a rack structure for a vending machine which comprises a pair of plastic rack halves each formed in a single unitary body, said rack halves when combined together in face-to-face relation having at least one serpentine passage defined therein, said serpentine passage having a first end, through which a plurality of articles are supplied successively into the serpentine passage, and a second end from which the articles in the serpentine passage can be removed one at a time from the rack structure, and means for connecting the rack halves together, said first end of the serpentine passage being positioned above said second end of the serpentine passage whereby the articles accomodated within the serpentine passage can move downwardly from said first end towards said second end successively by gravitational force each time the articles are removed from the rack structure from said second end one after another, at least one of the said rack halves comprising a substantially rectangular wall;

• at least two rows of ramp assemblies spaced apart from each other and cooperative with each other to define the serpentine passage;
• said ramp assemblies projecting from and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the substantially rectangular wall, and having ramp members alternately protruding into respective spaces each defined between the adjacent two of the ramp members of the other ramp assembly such that the passage assumes a serpentine shape when the rack halves are combined together, said substantially rectangular wall having a rib protruding outwards therefrom at a position intermediately between each one ramp member of said one ramp assembly and the next adjacent ramp member of said other ramp assembly and extending along the contour of the serpentine passage and grooves formed near the base portions of each of the ramp members along the contour of the serpentine passage.