Tube filling apparatus

1. A tube filling apparatus for filling tubes with a herb mixture, the apparatus including:

a base;

a filling assembly mountable on the base, the filling assembly having a plurality of tube receiving recesses extending substantially vertically and being open at both ends such that tubes to be filled may be received at upper ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses to move freely along their longitudinal direction sinking into the plurality of tube receiving recesses to protrude partially from lower ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses, wherein the tubes sunken into the plurality of tube receiving recesses may be filled with the herb mixture via the upper ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses;

a vibration plate being locatable in a generally horizontal plane between the base and the filling assembly, and spaced apart by a predetermined distance below the filling assembly such that the tubes protruding from the lower ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses may contact a surface of the vibration plate when they are located in the plurality of tube receiving recesses; and

a transducer which is in connection with the vibration plate, the transducer configured to vibrate the vibration plate in a generally vertical direction, independently of the filling assembly, wherein the filling assembly is kept stationary while the vibration plate vibrates such that the tubes may oscillate freely up and down inside the plurality of tube receiving recesses, accelerated downward by gravity and intermittently impacted by the surface of the vibration plate for compacting the herb mixture inside the tubes.

2. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transducer is configured to oscillate electro-mechanical energy to the vibration plate.

3. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the transducer is a speaker.

4. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the speaker is connected to the vibration plate by means of a coupling element which connects a speaker cone of the speaker to the vibration plate so that the vibration of the speaker cone is, in use, transferred to the vibration plate, thereby vibrating the tubes resting on the vibration plate.

5. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the transducer comprises three speakers, each being connected to the vibration plate by means of the coupling element.

6. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration plate is manufactured from aluminum sheeting.

7. A tube filling apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the filling assembly is removably attachable to the base at a fixed height above the base by means of supports, thereby allowing the filling assembly to be removed from the base.

8. A tube filling apparatus according to 7 , wherein the filling assembly is magnetically attachable to the base.

9. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the filling assembly includes a lower assembly and an upper assembly, which is, in use, mounted removably on top of the lower assembly, wherein the upper and lower assemblies have a number of tube receiving recesses, and wherein the tube receiving recesses in the upper assembly align with the recesses in the lower assembly when mounted on the lower assembly.

10. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the filling assembly is height adjustable with respect to the base in order to adjust the distance between the lower assembly and the vibration plate located between the lower assembly and the base, thereby facilitating the extraction of filled tubes after the filling has been completed.

11. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the filling assembly is mounted on the base by means of adjustable pillars.

12. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each of the upper and lower assemblies has a top support, a bottom support and a series of receptacles running between the top and bottom supports, wherein the receptacles define the tube receiving recesses in which the tubes are, in use, received.

13. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein receptacles are transparent so as to allow visual inspection of the process of filling the tubes with the herb mixture.

14. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the transparent receptacles are manufactured from glass to reduce the build-up of static charges as a result of friction between the tubes and receptacles.

15. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 9 , including a filling tray being connectable to the upper assembly in a position wherein it is, in use, located above the upper assembly, wherein the filling tray includes recesses which correspond with the recesses in the upper assembly when mounted thereon.

16. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 15 , including a sliding plate being receivable between the filling tray and the upper assembly so as to block off the recesses in the filling tray from the recesses in the upper assembly.

17. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the sliding plate is removable so as to allow it to be removed after the recesses in the filling tray have been filled with the herb mixture, thereby allowing the herb mixture to fall into the tubes inside the filling assembly upon removal of the sliding plate.

18. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 1 , including a fan blower mounted in a fan housing having a body, which is connected to the base, and a cover for directing the airflow over the vibration plate.

19. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the cover is removably connectable to the fan housing body so that it can be removed to allow access to the fan blower.

20. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the fan housing cover is magnetically coupled to the fan housing.

21. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 18 , including a collector tray being connected to the base on the side of the base which is opposite to the side to which the fan housing is connected, thereby allowing excess herb mixture to be blown off the vibration plate and into the collector tray.

22. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the collector tray is removably connectable to the base so that the excess herb mixture collected therein can be re-used.

23. A tube filling apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the collector tray is reversible, i.e. capable of being re-attached to the base in an orientation which differs 180 degrees from its initial orientation, so that its floor creates a working surface when it is attached to the base in its reversed orientation.

24. A method of filling tubes with a herb mixture using an apparatus which has a filling assembly mountable on a base, a vibration plate located between the filling assembly and the base, and a transducer which is in connection with the vibration plate, wherein the filling assembly has a plurality of tube receiving recesses extending substantially vertically and being open at both ends, wherein the vibration plate is located in a generally horizontal plane between the base and the filling assembly, and spaced apart by a predetermined distance below the filling assembly, the method including the steps of:

receiving the tubes to be filled into at upper ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses to move freely along their longitudinal direction sinking into the plurality of tube receiving recesses to protrude partially from lower ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses, wherein the tubes sunken into the plurality of tube receiving recesses are filled with the herb mixture via the upper ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses, wherein the tubes located in the plurality of tube receiving recesses protrude from the lower ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses and contact a surface of the vibration plate; and

using the transducer to vibrate the vibration plate in a generally vertical direction, independently of the filling assembly, wherein the filling assembly is kept stationary while the vibration plate vibrates, wherein the tubes oscillate freely up and down inside the plurality of tube receiving recesses, accelerated downward by gravity and intermittently impacted by the surface of the vibration plate for compacting the herb mixture inside the tubes.

25. A method according to claim 24 , wherein the transducer transfers oscillating electro-mechanical energy to the vibration plate.

26. A method according to claim 25 , wherein the transducer is a speaker.

27. A method according to claim 25 , wherein a displacement of the vibration plate is automatically controlled by means of a microprocessor based controller which allows optimised pre-sets to be selected.

28. A method according to claim 24 , wherein a distance of the displacement of the vibration plate is between about 5 to 7 mm.

29. A method according to claim 24 , wherein the step of filling the herb mixture via the upper ends of the plurality of tube receiving recesses includes the following steps:

placing a filling tray on top of the filling assembly so that recesses in the filling tray align with the tube receiving recesses in the filling assembly;

blocking off the recesses in the filling tray from the recesses in the filling assembly using a slide plate located between the filling tray and the filling assembly;

placing the herb mixture in the recesses in the filling tray; and

removing the slide plate to allow the herb mixture inside the recesses in the filling tray to pass into the tubes located in the recesses inside the filling assembly.

30. A method according to claim 24 , further comprising a step of collecting excess herb mixture which is, in use, spilt on the vibration plate in a collection tray.

31. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the excess herb mixture is collected in the collection tray by causing a flow of air over the vibration plate towards the collection tray.

32. A method according to claim 30 , further comprising steps of removing a collector tray, changing its orientation with respect to the base and re-attaching it to the base in a new orientation so that its floor creates a working surface.

33. A method according to claim 24 , further comprising steps of removing the filling assembly from the base and placing it on the working surface so that the tubes therein protrude from the filling assembly so that they can be extracted.