Abstract: An elongate structural chase beam adapted for assembly in a building frame as a unit extending between a pair of upright columns. This beam includes an elongate, axially central, vertical through-passage located between its ends for accommodating the vertical passage through the beam of selected building infrastructure to extend between floors in a building.

Abstract: A machine-liftable, open-framework, cage-like transporter for lifting and maneuvering horizontal structural beam elements, and the like, to appropriate installation elevations at and from the side of a plural-story building frame which is under construction. The transporter acts as a building-frame construction aid in the form of a worker-carrying, liftable, open-cage transporter including a volume-defining cage in which one or more worker(s) can station and ride, with this transporter possessing an overhead, fully exposed-from-below, support deck on which structural frame components, such as beam components, can be placed and supported in horizontal dispositions for lifting by the transporter to the appropriate elevation(s) in an emerging building frame which is being assembled. The open, overhead framework of the transporter promotes easy conveyance of such beam components to appropriate heights for delivery, precision aligning, locating, positioning and assembly within a building frame.

Abstract: A building frame including a load-bearing portion which is defined by a pattern of interconnected, elongate, upright columns and laterally extending beams, with each column taking the form of an assembly of hollow, tubular column components, at least some of which each possesses a nominally open, upper-end utility region, or port, extending upwardly beyond the top of the frame's load-bearing portion. Each such port, which is useable in different ways during and after initial building construction, accommodates, under different circumstances, the selective reception of a construction-extension instrumentality drawn from the list consisting of (a) an installable/removable crane structure, (b) a column-like element provided for the addition of selected building superstructure, and (c) additional building infrastructure which is feedable downwardly through the port toward a selected elevation in a “completed” building.

Abstract: Guide-by-wire vehicle steering involving (a) preparing a vehicle lane in a roadway with a passive, lane-following, elongate, lateral-triangulation responder, (b) equipping a selected vehicle having signal-controllable steering mechanism with a lateral-triangulation transceiver operatively associated, and interactive, with the responder, and signal-control-linked to the selected vehicle's signal-controllable steering mechanism, (c) with such a vehicle traveling along the roadway, interacting the transceiver and the responder, and (d) by such interacting, applying, as necessary, control signals from the transceiver to the vehicle's signal-controllable steering mechanism, thereby to control vehicle steering so as to assure vehicle following of the prepared vehicle lane. Also disclosed is system structure capable of performing these vehicle-steering steps, and selectively, additionally, communicating non-position roadway information in addition to steering-control information.

Abstract: An Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture includes a Technical Model, and a Technical Delivery Framework, and is designed to facilitate the development of complete enterprise service management solutions. The use of the Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture as the framework for an enterprise systems management technical solution results in solution designs created to be independent of the technology platform being managed with a view that meets the overall business requirements that span the technology platforms within a business environment. An information technology infrastructure already in place for a customer is analyzed and broken down to its very lowest level building blocks. Then the building blocks within the model of the technical architecture are mapped with the building blocks of the customer's information technology infrastructure to determine which of the building blocks of the model are to be used for the customer's information technology operation.

Abstract: An Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture includes a Technical Model, and a Technical Delivery Framework, and is designed to facilitate the development of complete enterprise service management solutions. The use of the Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture as the framework for an enterprise systems management technical solution results in solution designs created to be independent of the technology platform being managed with a view that meets the overall business requirements that span the technology platforms within a business environment. An information technology infrastructure already in place for a customer is analyzed and broken down to its very lowest level building blocks. Then the building blocks within the model of the technical architecture are mapped with the building blocks of the customer's information technology infrastructure to determine which of the building blocks of the model are to be used for the customer's information technology operation.

Abstract: Adjustable, elongate, beam-offset jig structure for assisting in welding a pair of beam-end, column-interface components to the opposite ends of an elongate beam. The jig structure includes spaced, adjustable head-stock and tail-stock structures, each capable of holding such a component adjacent a beam end for adjustment to an infinite number of different, pre-weld angular-offset dispositions relative to such a beam end in order to accommodate planned horizontal and vertical beam offsets which will be encountered when such beams are installed in a building frame. A computer-controlled, robotic welder is preferably provided adjacent each end of the jig structure to implement appropriate welding when any and all offset angles have been jig-established.

Abstract: A damper brace for use in a rectangular structural building frame pane which pane is defined by interconnecting beams and columns includes a formed rigid triangle having an apex, and a force-adjustable, relative-motion braking structure operatively interposed the rigid-triangle apex and one of the frame beams forming the pane.

Abstract: A column/beam connection in a building frame, including an elongate column having faces which join through corners, an elongate beam having an end, and a full-moment nodal connection connecting the end of the beam to the column solely through a pair of next-adjacent corners in the column, with the beam end, as so connected, being spaced from the column face which lies between the mentioned pair of corners. The connection per se features (a) plural standoffs joined to and extending, one each, outwardly from the column's corners at a selected, common elevation located along the length of the column, and (b) a halo collar joined through a gravity-seat-and-lock, full-moment interface connection to each of the standoffs, and, as so joined, spaced by the standoffs from the column faces which lie between the column corners.

Abstract: A method for stabilizing, in correctness, the transverse cross section of the end of an elongate structural beam during weld attachment to that end of a beam-end mounting component. This method includes the steps of (a) configurationally correcting and capturing the end transverse footprint of such a beam with an external structure to lock that footprint against subsequent configuration change, and (b), while performing that capturing step, weld-attaching the beam's end transverse footprint to the mentioned beam-end mounting component.

Abstract: Apparatus for precision deploy-attaching beam-mount structure to the outside of an elongate column at plural, defined attachment sites that are distributed and spaced along the length of the column. During use, a column support jig with plural openable/closeable yokes in the apparatus supports a column horizontally for selective rotation about its long axis. A carriage in the apparatus, which holds beam-mount structures to be attached to a supported column, is selectively moveable and position-lockable in defined locations distributed along the supported column between yokes in a pair of spaced yokes to enable precision weld-attaching of the mounts to sides of the column.

Abstract: A family of beam cross-connections, including column/beam and beam/beam connections, between beams and columns in a building frame. Each connection within a cross-connection features (a) a pair of parallel-spaced, upright, planar plate components operatively associated with either a side of a column or a side of a beam, (b) an elongate, generally horizontal cross-connection beam including a generally upright, planar central web with an end which, with respect to a pair of such plate components, extends into the space that exists between those components, and (c) a structural relationship involving the plate components in a pair which accommodates (1) vertical-motion placement of a web end between the components, with (2) the automatic establishment thereby of correct relative, spatial, three-dimensional relationships and dispositions of the specific, associated column and/or beam elements so connected.

Abstract: A modular caddy load-handling trailer docking system including (a) a ground-traveling trailer having an elongate, upright, longitudinal and generally planar rack-beam including upper, elongate hook-rail structure, and (b) a selectively dockable/undockable, modular load-carrying caddy adapted to receive a transportable load, and having both (1) a free-standing, separated-from-trailer, ground-support configuration, and (2) hook structure adapted for enabling hook-docking of the caddy, via the hook structure, on the rack-beam's hook-rail structure for transport by and with the trailer.

Abstract: A column/beam interconnection employing angular connectors which wrap complementarily around an outside corner in a column. Each connector includes, on each of two, next-adjacent column faces, a cantilever-projecting deflectable tab which is nominally spaced from another, confronting tab that belongs to a next-adjacent connector. These confronting, spaced tabs freely receive between them the end of the central web in an I-beam, and when clamplingly secured to such a web, deflect under spring resistance to introduce useful compressive forces through the associated connectors into the associated column. The proposed connector arrangement allows, with respect to the placement of a beam for connection to and between a pair of next adjacent columns, for the vertical shifting of the beam into proper place for connection of its central web to and between pairs of spaced tabs, without any need for any lateral shifting of the columns to allow for insertion of the beam between the columns.

Abstract: A building foundation anchoring and interface system for receiving supporting the base of an upright structural column. This system and interface includes an open-topped bucket-well structure which is embedded in a foundation, and which is sized so as to permit the received base of an inserted column to be adjusted laterally, in a multidirectional sense, vertically angularly, and axially rotationally, and with substantial clearance, so as to enable easy correct positioning of a column. Poured into the bucket-well structure after the same has received the base of a column is an appropriate fluid-flowable, hardenable, bulk anchoring material, such as conventional building grout material. An opening may be provided in the wall of the base of a column so that such flowable material flows into the interior of a column, as well as into the space between the outside of the column's base and the inside of the receiving bucket-well.

Abstract: Column/I-beam interconnect structure including an attaching plate joined to an I-beam end. This plate possesses, along its lateral margins, angularly oriented upper and lower through-passages, each characterized with a reception axis, and designed to receive, along that axis, portions of a hex nut-and-bolt set which is used to clamp together two adjacent, angularly related attaching plates. The socket portions, or outer chambers, of the through-passages are formed with spaced and generally parallel-planar upper and lower surfaces which act in these socket portions to restrain a received hex nut against rotation about its own rotational assembly axis which, in the socket portion, is coincident with the socket portion's reception axis.

Abstract: A method utilizing a stabilizing jig structure for positioning and supporting the assembly of an elongate structural beam and a beam-end mounting component during weld attachment of that mounting component to an end of the beam. This method includes the steps of (a) applying, through a positionally shiftable first biasing element, a first yieldable biasing force which urges the beam-end mounting component relatively toward the associated beam end, and (b) applying, through a positionally shiftable second biasing element, a second yieldable biasing force which urges the beam-end mounting component relatively toward the first biasing element.

Abstract: Preparation of a weld between a structural I-beam end and a beam-to-column attaching end component wherein no beam flange material is removed to participate in the creation of a weld trough. Instead, the space for a weld trough is created in the end component, and this trough is prepared with enough all-over length to establish run-on and run-off regions for molten weld material, which regions extend laterally outwardly from the opposite transverse ends of a flange. Full-section welds between a beam's flanges and the attaching end component are achieved without the need to use any run-on and run-off tabs, and also without the need to employ any traditionally-used backing bars.

Abstract: An elongate, long-span transition beam employable between columns in a building frame structure. This transition beam includes (a) an elongate central portion having one, principal cross-sectional vertical depth, and (b) joined to the opposite ends of the central portion, a pair of elongate end portions each having a smaller cross-sectional vertical depth. These end portions may be formed with flange-modified reduced beam sections to act as “overload fuses”. The central and end portions join through size-differentiated, transverse cross section, transitional regions which are formed adjacent opposite ends, and as parts, of the central portion.

Abstract: Column-beam building frame structure, wherein columns and beams are interconnected to distribute and share all lateral loads through collars that encircle columns at the nodal points of attachments between columns and beams. Each collar includes inner and outer components which seat, and gravity-lock together, during frame construction, and which also to offer a certain amount of immediate moment resistance to lateral loads. Tension bolt and nut assemblies lock the inner and outer collar components together, and with these assemblies in place, the collars (which circumsurround the beams) function to deliver beam moment loads as plural-position, angularly distributed compression loads to different side regions of columns.