Evacuation ring for laminating process

Claim 1

AN EVACUATION RING FOR A LAMINATED STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PAIR OF GLASS PANELS WITH A PLASTIC INTERLAYER THEREBETWEEN, SAID RING BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SUCTION SOURCE AND TO BE STRETCH MOUNTED AROUND THE PERIPHERAL END EDGES OF THE LAMINATE STRUCTURE, COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS RING OF IMPERVIOUS, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENSIBLE, ELASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A CONTINUOUS, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, GROOVE IN ITS INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE ADAPTED TO SURROUND AND SEALINGLY RECEIVE THE PERIPHERAL END PORTIONS OF SAID LAMINATE, SAID GROOVE HAVING A BOTTOM ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS CONDUIT IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE END EDGES OF THE LAMINATE THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, AND CLOSELY SPACED, INTEGRAL, TUBULAR RIGIDIFYING MEANS FOR SAID RING CARRIED BY AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE RING ALONG SAID GROOVE BOTTOM AND PROJECTING LATERALLY INWARDLY TO ABUT AGAINST AND TO SUBSTANTIALLY SPACE THE GROOVE BOTTOM FROM THE END EDGES OF THE LAMINATE AND PREVENT COLLAPSE OF THE RING AGAINST THE END EDGES OF THE LAMINATE WHEN THE RING IS MOUNTED ON A LAMINATE STRUCTURE AND IS CONNECTED TO A SUCTION SOURCE, SAID SPACED, TUBULAR, RIGIDIFYING MEANS BEING PERFORATED ALONG THE AREA ABUTTING THE END EDGES OF THE LAMINATE AND HAVING THEIR CLOSELY SPACED ADJACENT ENDS INTERCONNECTED BY UNREINFORCED RING GROOVE PORTIONS THAT PROVIDE CONDUIT PORTIONS ADAPTED FOR LATERAL FLEXING AND LONGITUDINAL EXTENSIBILITY OF THE RING TO FIT THE RING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE ASSOCIATED LAMINATE STRUCTURE.