Gravity feed bottle dispensing device and method of dispensing bottles

A merchandising device comprising:

• bottles arranged in a row, each of said bottles having a cap and an integrally formed annular neck flange disposed under said cap at a gap;
• an elongate track having a front end and a rear end, said track supporting said row of said bottles such that said bottles are suspended by said neck flanges for movement along said track and are removable from said track through said front end;
• and
• support means for supporting said track such that said track is inclined downwardly toward said front end whereby said bottles are allowed to gravity feed toward said front end along said track,
• said track comprising a pair of substantially parallel rails extending along said track, said rails being spaced apart to receive therebetween necks of said bottles such that said bottles are slidably engaged at undersides of said neck flanges with said rails, and rail-thickening means for increasing the vertical size of at least a part of each of said rails adjacent to at least one of said front and rear ends so that said each rail is prevented from being mistakenly received in said gap of any one of said bottles when said bottles are loaded into said track through said one end, said rail-thickening means providing said part of said each rail with an increased vertical size greater than the size of said gap of each of said bottles,
• wherein said increased vertical size is provided for only a part of said each rail adjacent to at least one of said front and rear ends so that said part of said each rail is greater in vertical size than the remainder of said each rail.