Abstract: A friction clutch assembly, for a press and especially a screw press, includes: a pair of rotating, coaxial, annular, spaced drive members, at least one of which is axially movable toward and away from the other; an off-drive shaft disposed coaxially with the drive members; a spring plate centrally clamped to the off-drive shaft and extending radially on both sides of the shaft to terminate in outer segments, carrying friction coatings, disposed in the space between the drive members, so that, upon movement of one of the drive members toward the other to actuate, or close, the clutch, the friction coatings are clamped between the drive members, elastically deforming the spring plate to adjust to the reduced spacing and to transmit the requisite high torque through the spring plate required to turn the off-drive shaft.