Printing of container closure gaskets

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A CAN END GASKET ON METAL SHEET COMPRISING PLACING THE OBVERSE FACE OF A FORM-STABLE PRINTING PLATE IN CONTACT WITH THE TOP SURFACE OF A METAL SHEET TO RECEIVE SAID GASKET, SAID PLATE HAVING A CAN END GASKET DESIGN THEEIN CONSISTING OF A MULTIPLICITY OF INDEPENDENT SMALL HOLES, DEFINED BY A CONTINUOUS SURROUNDING LATTICEWORK, PLACING A FLUID GASKET-FORMING COMPOSITION ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF SAID PERFORATED PLATE, FORCING SAID COMPOSITION THROUGH SAID HOLES AND INTO CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACE, SEPARATING SAID PLATE FROM SAID SHEET AND LEAVING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF COMPOUND ON SAID SURFACE, AND CONVERTING THE COMPOUND SO TRANSFERRED TO A FORM-STABLE SHAPE, SAID SHEET HAVING A THICKNESS IN THE RANGE OF 0.100 TO 0.500 MILLIMETER, AND SAID DESIGN HAVING IN THE OF 250 TO 2500 PERFORATIONS PER SQUARE CENTIMETER WHEREIN THE PERFOATIONS OCCUPY 40 TO 75% OF THE TOTAL AREA ENCOMPASSED BY THE DESIGN.