Method of vacuum packaging air filter materials

Claim 1

A METHOD OF VACUUM PACKAGING ROLLS OF COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING A ROLL OF WOUND COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL ON AN ELONGATED APERTURED EVACUATING MANDREL OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO A VACUUM MEANS, FEEDING A LENGTH OF RELATIVELY THIN EXPANSIBLE AND CONTRACTABLE TUBING MATERIAL FROM A SOURCE OF SUPPLY AROUND SAID COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL AND SAID MANDREL, SEVERING SAID LENGTH OF TUBING MATERIAL, SEALING THE ENDS OF SAID TUBING MATERIAL ABOUT SAID COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL TO FORM AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER, EVACUATING AIR FROM SAID AIRTIGHT CONTAINER UNIFORMLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH THROUGH THE EVACUATING MANDREL TO DIMINISH THE DIAMETER OF THE COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL AND THE TUBING, PLACING A SMALLER TUBING OF RELATIVELY RIGID INEXPANSIBLE MATERIAL OVER SAID REDUCED DIAMETER TUBING AND COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL TO CONTROL THE SIZE OF THE DIMINISHED DIAMETER OF SAID COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, STOPPING THE VACUUM, REMOVING THE COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL IN SAID CONTAINER AND SAID TUBING OF RELATIVELY RIGID INEXPANSIBLE MATERIAL FROM SAID MANDREL, AND ALLOWING THE COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL AND CONTAINER TO EXPAND TO FILL THE CONFINES OF THE RELATIVELY RIGID INEXPANSIBLE CONTAINER.