Sealing ring for mounting tubeless pneumatic tires

Claim 1

AN ANNULAR SEALING RING FOR USE IN MOUNTING TUBELESS PNEUMATIC TIRES ON THE RIM OF A WHEEL, SAID SEALING RING BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON AND ENCIRCLE A WHEEL RIM INTERMEDIATE THE BEAD OF A UNIFLATED TUBELESS TIRE LOOSELY MOUNTED ON SAID WHEEL RIM AND THE ADJACENT RIM FLANGE OF SAID WHEEL, SAID SEALING RING BEING CROSS-SECTIONALLY GENERALLY TEAR-SHAPED AND HAVING GENERALLY DIVERGING INNER AND OUTER SURFACE PORTIONS THE LATTER OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE ADJACENT SIDE OF THE BEAD PORTION OF SAID TIRE AND THE FORMER OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE ADJACENT FLANGE OF SAID RIM WHEREBY TO PROVIDE A SEAL BETWEEN THE RIM AND THE BEAD PORTION OF THE TIRE SO AS TO PERMIT INFLATION OF SAID TIRE, SAID INNER SURFACE PORTION BEING GENERALLY CONCAVELY FORMED AND SAID OUTER SURFACE PORTION BEING GENERALLY CONVEXLY FORMED, SAID SEALING RING DEFINING RECESS MEANS FOR ADDING RESILIENCY TO SAID RING WHEREBY TO PERMIT THE EJECTION THEREOF OVER SAID RIM FLANGE UPON SUFFICIENT INFLATION OF SAID TIRE, SAID RECESS MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED GENERALLY RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OPENING SIPES DEFINED BY SAID SEALING RING.