Gas assisted flow tube and filling device

The invention relates in general to techniques and apparatus for consistently and uniformly transporting and delivering particulate material such as powder. Such transport and delivery systems are used for filling cavities such as in die-casting machines prior to powder compaction in processes for fabricating consolidated parts for automotive, aerospace, micro-electronics, vitamins, pharmaceuticals, and the like. A gas-assisted flow and filling device for transporting particulate material and filling die cavities includes a source of low-pressure gas for delivering gas to a chamber that is separated from a fluidizing chamber by a porous distributor plate which permits the gas to flow through the particulate material and out a vent screen so that the particulate material is permitted to flow out of the fluidizing chamber essentially free of gas and wherein the pressure of the gas delivered to the fluidizing chamber is sufficient to provide a gas bearing to said particulate material adjacent the distributor plate, but not high enough to cause turbulence in said fluidizing chamber.