1. A method of forming a plate having a shaft integral therewith and projecting therefrom, comprising the steps of intermittently feeding a strip of material, punching a piece of material from the strip at a first station along the path of feed of the strip each time the strip is stopped during the intermittent feeding for leaving between the spaces left by the punched out pieces shaped areas of the strip joined by edge portions along the length of the strip, pressing a shaped area of the strip at a second station along the path of feed each time the strip is stopped during the intermittent feeding for reducing the thickness thereof, pressing a shaped area of the strip at a third station along the path of feed each time the strip is stopped during the intermittent feeding against a female die having a generally cylindrical shape considerably larger than the size of the shaft to be formed, pressing a shaped area of the strip at a plurality of succeeding stations along the path of feed each time the strip is stopped during the intermittent feeding against generally cylindrically shaped female dies which are successively smaller than said firstmentioned die, the die at the last of said plurality of succeeding stations being the size of the shaft to be formed, lifting the strip between each of said stations a distance at least slightly greater than the length of the shaft formed at the said last of the said plurality of succeeding stations prior to moving it forwardly for removing the shaft portions from the dies, passing said shafts on said shaped areas of the strip into a groove beneath the strip beyond the said last of said plurality of succeeding stations in the direction of movement of the strip, and punching a shaped area of the strip out of the strip at a final station along the path of the feed each time the strip is stopped during the intermittent feeding, whereby there is continuously produced a succession of plates having shafts integrally formed therewith.