Abstract: Embodiments according to this disclosure include methods and systems for lubricating sheet metal stock by wiping a controlled amount of lubricant onto the surfaces of the sheet metal with strips of material, such as felt, saturated with the lubricant. The lubrication methods and systems disclosed herein can also provide for control of the pressure at which the lubricant is delivered, the volume of lubricant delivered, and the frequency lubricant is delivered to the felt strips. The lubricant is delivered to the felt strips at a number of locations and the felt material is configured to naturally wick the lubricant from the injection sites to the spaces between injection sites to substantially saturate the entire strip.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing solutions for trading securities are disclosed, including receiving a level-two quote, the level-two quote including a symbol and at least one market participant quote, the market participant quote including a quote price, a quote quantity, a quote MPID, and a quote side. The methods and systems further include creating a solution set including at least one solution record corresponding to each market participant quote in the level-two quote, the solution record including a solution symbol, a solution side, a solution MPID, a solution price, a solution quantity, and a solution latency, the solution latency including a latency for the market identified by the solution MPID.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing solutions for trading securities are disclosed, including receiving a level-two quote, the level-two quote including a symbol and at least one market participant quote, the market participant quote including a quote price, a quote quantity, a quote MPID, and a quote side. The methods and systems further include creating a solution set including at least one solution record corresponding to each market participant quote in the level-two quote, the solution record including a solution symbol, a solution side, a solution MPID, a solution price, a solution quantity, and a solution latency, the solution latency including a latency for the market identified by the solution MPID.

Abstract: Method and system for providing solutions to problems including generating problem definitions for problems, receiving environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generating solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicating solutions to clients before the solutions are disclosed. A solution server comprising a processor coupled to at least one source of environmental information and coupled to at least one client, the processor programmed to generate problem definitions for problems, receive environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generate solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicate solutions to clients before the solutions are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments according to this disclosure include methods and systems for lubricating sheet metal stock by wiping a controlled amount of lubricant onto the surfaces of the sheet metal with strips of material, such as felt, saturated with the lubricant. The lubrication methods and systems disclosed herein can also provide for control of the pressure at which the lubricant is delivered, the volume of lubricant delivered, and the frequency lubricant is delivered to the felt strips. The lubricant is delivered to the felt strips at a number of locations and the felt material is configured to naturally wick the lubricant from the injection sites to the spaces between injection sites to substantially saturate the entire strip.

Abstract: Method and system for providing solutions to problems including generating problem definitions for problems, receiving environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generating solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicating solutions to clients before the solutions are disclosed. A solution server comprising a processor coupled to at least one source of environmental information and coupled to at least one client, the processor programmed to generate problem definitions for problems, receive environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generate solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicate solutions to clients before the solutions are disclosed.

Abstract: Method and system for providing solutions to problems including generating problem definitions for problems, receiving environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generating solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicating solutions to clients before the solutions are disclosed. A solution server comprising a processor coupled to at least one source of environmental information and coupled to at least one client, the processor programmed to generate problem definitions for problems, receive environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generate solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicate solutions to clients before the solutions are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for improved execution of orders for securities and for adding liquidity to markets. Embodiments include receiving from customers orders for quantities of securities to be bought or sold, the orders optionally identifying pre-selected markets. Embodiments include sending orders to a first default market where orders are partially filled. Embodiments typically include sending orders to a pre-selected market, where orders are partially filled, and booking orders in a second default market. Embodiments include discounting fees charged to customers for orders booked into a default market. Booking IOC orders into a second default market typically includes setting the order time-in-force to a value other than zero. In many embodiments, the default markets are sometimes the same market, and sometimes they are different markets. Embodiments include selecting, from among a multiplicity of markets, the default markets dependent upon default market selection criteria.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting, in a broker-dealer system for automated trading of securities, a path for sending an order for securities to a terminus market, in which the broker-dealer system includes at least one port, the port being coupled through at least one path to at least one terminus market, wherein each path includes at least one direct link between a port and a market system and optionally one or more additional links between the said market system and other market systems, each path having a first terminus at a port and a second terminus at a terminus market, terminus markets being markets to which orders for securities are sent by the broker-dealer system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for balancing data communications loads among data communications ports in systems for automated trading of securities. Embodiments typically include receiving acknowledgments of orders previously sent through a port from a broker-dealer system to a market, sending acknowledgments to the broker-dealer system, and determining that port are not overloaded. Various embodiments make determinations of overload on the basis of latency, net order count, or order count compared with acknowledgment count. Alternative embodiments send orders only through least-loaded ports. Least-loaded ports are identified on the basis of latency, net order count, or a combination of the two.

Abstract: Method and system for displaying latency, useful in broker-dealer computer systems engaged generally in automated processing of orders for securities including sending to markets messages comprising orders and cancellations and receiving from markets responses to orders and cancellations, including recording for messages sent to markets the time when each message is sent and the identity of the market to which each message is sent, including recording for responses received from markets the time when each response is received, wherein each response corresponds to a particular message. Embodiments include calculating latencies for markets dependent upon recorded time when a message is sent to the market and a recorded time when a corresponding response is received from the market. Latencies are embodied alternatively as instant values or various kinds of averages. Embodiments includes latencies for communications ports as well as for markets.

Abstract: Method and system for providing solutions to problems including generating problem definitions for problems, receiving environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generating solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicating solutions to clients before the solutions are needed. A solution server comprising a processor coupled to at least one source of environmental information and coupled to at least one client, the processor programmed to generate problem definitions for problems, receive environmental information required for generating solutions for the problems, generate solutions for the problems dependent upon the environmental information and the problem definitions, and communicate solutions to clients before the solutions are needed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for administering redundant cancellations of orders for securities. Canceling orders for securities in an automated securities trading broker-dealer system. Receiving new cancellations from clients and searching a cancellation queue for cancellations corresponding to the new cancellations. If a corresponding cancellation is found in the cancellation queue, the redundancy count of the corresponding cancellation is incremented in the cancellation queue and the new cancellation is discarded. If a cancellation corresponding to the new cancellation is not found in the cancellation queue, a copy of the new cancellation is placed in the cancellation queue and the new cancellation is sent to the market. Embodiments periodically scanning the cancellation queue for cancellations having a redundancy count greater than zero, decrementing the redundancy count for such cancellations. Some embodiments issue additional cancellations dependent upon receipt of acknowledgments of earlier cancellations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting, in a broker-dealer system for automated trading of securities, a path for sending an order for securities to a terminus market, in which the broker-dealer system includes at least one port, the port being coupled through at least one path to at least one terminus market, wherein each path includes at least one direct link between a port and a market system and optionally one or more additional links between the said market system and other market systems, each path having a first terminus at a port and a second terminus at a terminus market, terminus markets being markets to which orders for securities are sent by the broker-dealer system, the method comprising the steps of: providing one or more path data structures representing one or more paths connecting the broker dealer system to one or more terminus markets, each path data structure comprised of data elements further comprising a port code, a terminus market code identifying the terminus market for the path, and one o