Filling tubes with catalyst and/or other particulate

A particulate filling apparatus, comprising:

• a means for swiveling the particulate filling apparatus;
• a stainless steel rod connected below said swiveling means;
• a plurality of stainless steel obstacles mounted horizontally from the stainless steel rod positioned consecutively to form a helix-pattern;
• wherein each of the plurality of obstacles mounted on the stainless steel rod positioned consecutively to form a helix-pattern further comprises positioning each consecutive obstacle to define a gap width which is less than a diameter of a particulate to be used with the particulate filling apparatus;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of obstacles mounted on the stainless steel rod is positioned consecutively to form a helix-pattern further comprises the helix-pattern having a flight of obstacles at an angle of inclination greater than or equal to about seventy-five degrees.

A method for filling a particulate into a container, comprising:

• dropping the particulate over a filling device;
• swiveling the filling device;
• stepping the particulate down the filling device wherein the particulate is traveling in a helix-pattern;
• and
• dropping the particulate from the lower end of the filling device.