Rule R101 allows for minor protrusions such as bold heads outside the frame perimeter. Could we have bolt head that sticks out a vertical beam 20" above the frame or is this rule for protrusions on the robot frame itself?
Only the bolt heads can be beyond the frame perimeter. Whatever us on the inside the the bolt head is considered the frame perimeter of the robot.
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The robot perimeter is a plane established by the bumpers. It technically goes on infinitely, but of course there is a different rule that ends our use of it. If you make a box that goes up to the perimeter, and bolt heads stick out, you should be okay. However, if that bolt head is on a surface not as clearly on the frame perimeter, you could set yourself up for a stressful inspection.
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You’ll want to read R102. It covers the starting configuration and not hanging over your frame perimeter - there’s an exception there that you might find interesting.
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Yes, the protrusions can be above the BUMPER ZONE. When we were pushing this with our 2014 robot, the inspector borrowed our large framing square, had us put the robot on the floor, and went across the frame perimeter. We had some cap screw heads hit the square, but none of the gussets or frame members - good to go! If you have a small drop center, also try the “high” side pushed to the floor, because that’s normal when accelerating. (That didn’t apply to us that year because we made the great sophomore mistake of Mecanum.)
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This is not applicable this year, although some years it has been. Since robots are allowed to extend past their frame perimeter after the start of the match, you only need to worry about your starting configuration, which means when the robot is sitting normally on a flat floor.
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What the OP described is risky if the design is such that the end of the mechanism is intended to be flush with the frame perimeter at a point 20" above the robot chassis where the frame perimeter is usually measured. Manufacturing tolerances may cause that point to protrude beyond the planes as defined by the chassis, pushing the frame perimeter out at that point. If the perimeter of the chassis is less than the maximum allowed allowed frame perimeter, it could be okay. If the perimeter of the chassis is near the maximum allowed, the point 20" above may make the frame perimeter exceed the maximum allowed.
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I was with you up until this point. The FRAME PERIMETER is defined within the bumper zone. Something 20” higher cannot change the FRAME PERIMETER, it can only overhang it if it’s outside of it - that’s the point of R102.
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You are right. That means a design like that is even riskier than I described.
Which is why it is a good idea to check your robot with a plumb bob before showing up at a competition.
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It would be even better to design it so that with reasonable manufacturing tolerances, there is guaranteed to be sufficient margin from the frame perimeter so that one would not even have to ask about it.
Oh, where’s the fun in that!? 
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