Abstract: A gas spring element or gas cylinder element, particularly suitable for presses for non-cutting forming, including a closed non-compressible fluid system which includes the ring space between the piston or as the case may be piston rod and the cylinder or as the case may be cylinder head, wherein manipulation of the flow of fluid, which results from displacement movement of the piston, is used to hold the piston in the extended position and also to initiate release the piston rod, optionally including rate of return of the piston. Therewith there is achieved a complete timewise decoupling of the return stroke movement of a press ram and a piston rod.