A method of installing a gasket with an embedded reinforcing hard plastic band within a gasket receiving raceway provided within the belled end of a female pipe member so as to form a sealed pipe joint in a pipeline formed of sections of plastic pipe, the belled end having a mouth opening which is engageable with a spigot end of a mating male plastic pipe section to form the pipe joint, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plastic pipe section having a preformed female belled end opening with a gasket receiving raceway, the raceway being generally arcuate with a forward sloping region when viewed in cross sectional view; installing a sealing gasket within the gasket receiving raceway by bending the gasket to temporarily transform the gasket from a generally cylindrical shape to a generally elliptical shape, placing the gasket within the gasket receiving groove and releasing the gasket, whereby the gasket returns to the generally cylindrical shape; wherein the gasket is formed as a ring shaped elastomeric body having a main body portion formed of rubber which, when viewed in cross section, includes a leading nose region, a lower compression region and a trailing tail region, the leading nose region facing generally towards the female socket end of the pipe once the gasket is inserted within the pipe; wherein the leading nose region of the main body portion of the gasket is reinforced by a hard plastic band formed as a series of integral, spaced wedges (39, 41, 43) interconnected by a flexible ribbon, the hard plastic band being embedded within the leading nose region of the main body portion of the gasket during gasket manufacture by molding the same therein, the wedges each having a front edge, a rear edge and opposing side edges (57, 59), as viewed in isometric view, the opposing side edge of one selected wedge being connected to a side edge of a next adjacent wedge by a portion of the flexible ribbon; and wherein hydraulic pressure due to fluid in the pipe acts upon the wedges on the hard plastic band to push the wedges into tighter engagement with the mating male and female pipe members to prevent extrusion of the gasket from the raceway provided in the female socket end of the thermoplastic pipe once a spigot end of a mating male pipe is installed to form a pipe joint and the pipe is conveying fluid. providing a plastic pipe section having a preformed female belled end opening with a gasket receiving raceway, the raceway being generally arcuate with a forward sloping region when viewed in cross sectional view; installing a sealing gasket within the gasket receiving raceway by bending the gasket to temporarily transform the gasket from a generally cylindrical shape to a generally elliptical shape, placing the gasket within the gasket receiving groove and releasing the gasket, whereby the gasket returns to the generally cylindrical shape; wherein the gasket is formed as a ring shaped elastomeric body having a main body portion formed of rubber which, when viewed in cross section, includes a leading nose region, a lower compression region and a trailing tail region, the leading nose region facing generally towards the female socket end of the pipe once the gasket is inserted within the pipe; wherein the leading nose region of the main body portion of the gasket is reinforced by a hard plastic band formed as a series of integral, spaced wedges (39, 41, 43) interconnected by a flexible ribbon, the hard plastic band being embedded within the leading nose region of the main body portion of the gasket during gasket manufacture by molding the same therein, the wedges each having a front edge, a rear edge and opposing side edges (57, 59), as viewed in isometric view, the opposing side edge of one selected wedge being connected to a side edge of a next adjacent wedge by a portion of the flexible ribbon; and wherein hydraulic pressure due to fluid in the pipe acts upon the wedges on the hard plastic band to push the wedges into tighter engagement with the mating male and female pipe members to prevent extrusion of the gasket from the raceway provided in the female socket end of the thermoplastic pipe once a spigot end of a mating male pipe is installed to form a pipe joint and the pipe is conveying fluid.