The tenth and last operation (illustrated in Fig. 10) is to contract the link slightly in the lateral direction in order to correct any imperfections at the sides left by the two previous operations and bring the link to a more perfect and stronger form, as shown. This operation has the important result of strengthening the link considerably by contracting or rendering more pointed the arched form of the bow or end of the link, and also by thickening the metal at that part where the wear is greatest, this thickening of the metal at the ends of the link occurring in the direction of the line of strain (as indicated by _x_ in Fig. 10) and being brought about by the compression or "upsetting" of the metal at the end of the link. It may be preferable to perform this operation immediately after the seventh operation, and I reserve the right to do so. In the case of large cables only the metal is preferably heated for the eighth, ninth, and tenth operations. I will now refer to the figures which illustrate the series of tools whereby the above mentioned operations are performed. Fig. 1_a_ shows a plan (the punch being in section) and Fig. 1_b_ an elevation of the bed die of the tool by which the notches _b_ of the first operation are performed. The feed mechanism is not shown, but might be of any ordinary intermittent kind. _g_ is a groove in the bed, in which lies the lower vertical web of the rod, of cruciform section, the two horizontal webs lying upon the bed with the edge of the web to be notched lying just over the die, in which works the punch, B, of which B' is the cutting edge. The punch is operated in the usual way, its lower end, which does not rise out of the die, acting as a guide. B* is the beveled stop in the groove, _g_, which by fitting in the notches, _b_ or _b'_, corrects inaccuracies of the feed.