Box column assembly

Apparatus for promoting the weld assembling of an elongate, rectangular-cross-section, planar-plate-component, box-column pre-assembly having a long, central axis which is to become the long, central axis of a finally assembled box column, said apparatus comprising

• an elongate frame possessing an elongate, rotational-assembly axis, and
• plural pre-assembly rotational support structures mounted on and distributed along said frame, each operatively centered on said rotational-assembly axis, designed to receive, and to furnish rotational support about the rotational-assembly axis for, such a pre-assembly, and including
• (a) an openable/closable yoke defining a collar-reception zone which is circular with the yoke closed,
• (b) an openable/closable collar, circular in perimetral outline when closed, removably and rotatably receivable within said zone, and possessing, when closed, a central, clamping-shoe-accommodating throughpassage, with perimetrally outlining sides, and
• (c) collar-attachable clamping shoes attachable to the collar in cooperation with said throughpassage sides for defining therewith a rectangular-outline window for confinedly, and complementarily, receiving positionally stabilized extension therethrough of a rectangular-cross-section box-column pre-assembly in a condition with the pre-assembly's long, central axis substantially coincident with said rotational-assembly axis.

Apparatus for promoting full-strength weld assembling, to a finally assembled box column, of an elongate, plural-planar-plate-component, box-column pre-assembly of a type having adjacent pairs of elongate plate components possessing elongate, adjacent, final-weld-awaiting, linear, lateral edges, and a long, central axis which is to become the long, central axis of a finally assembled box column, said apparatus comprising

• an elongate frame, and
• plural, selectively openable/closable, pre-assembly rotational support structures mounted on and distributed along said frame, and together with said frame defining a rotational-assembly axis enabling selective pre-assembly rotation, for appropriate welding-instrumentality proximity access to a pre-assembly's plate components' adjacent edges, about the pre-assembly's central axis, said support structures being designed (a) removeably to receive, (b) to furnish, through accommodating selective supported-pre-assembly rotation, welding-proximity rotational support about the rotational-assembly axis for, and (c) to furnish, when open, unimpeded, non-stop, linear-continuity welding access to, and along the full lengths of, the adjacent-plate lateral edges in, such a supported pre-assembly for final, full plate-edge-length, full-strength assembly welding under circumstances with the pre-assembly's central axis substantially coincident with said rotational-assembly axis.