Press for forming sheet material

A press includes a frame, a flywheel, a motor for driving the flywheel, and a shaft. A clutch and brake assembly is provided which is actuable for engaging and disengaging the shaft to the flywheel. An eccentric is journaled upon the shaft and rotates therewith. The eccentric rotates in a block which is slidably mounted in a head to permit the block to move laterally within the head. The head is vertically movable in response to vertical movements of the block. The presse also includes an upper die which is mounted on the head and a lower die which is resiliently supported upwardly on a base. Movement of the head engages and disengages the upper die and lower die. One embodiment of the press includes a second set of dies mounted to the head for cutting a continuous sheet of material into a predetermined shape.