Electrical component lead bending and cutting apparatus

In a method for clinching at least one component lead, said component lead having an axis, and wherein said clinching is accomplished by utilizing a clinching apparatus comprising a rotatable element having an axis of rotation and a longitudinal offset bore;

• a housing having an internal cavity which cooperatively receives said rotatable element, said rotatable element mounted within said housing for rotation about said axis of rotation, said housing having an entrance opening which communicates with said cavity and said bore when said rotatable element is positioned such that said bore and said opening are approximately adjacent to each other;
• drive means for rotating said rotatble element to said housing by rotating said rotatble element until said bore and entrance opening are adjacent to each other, the improvement comprising:
• positioning said clinching apparatus such that said bore and said opening are approximately adjacent to each other;
• inserting said lead in said entrance opening and into said longitudinal offset bore;
• and
• moving said clinching apparatus in a direction transverse to said axis a predetermined distance until said lead is clinched.