Whippletree

These mechanisms are in effect acting like mechanical differentials.
Just for non-circular reciprocative motion. Roughly linear acting for small motions.

A whippletree acts like a binary tree (a the name suggests)
with an power or two exponentially increasing number of branches. <nr>

The concept can be generalized.

ZigZag differentials

(wiki-TODO: Maybe give this topic its own dedicated page.)
(wiki-TODO: This needs image illustration(s).)

One gets to "zigzag differentials" by …
★ distorting the shape and
★ changing the topology
… of a whippletee mechanism

"zigzag differentials" seem to be a more generally useful mechanism than whippletrees.

By making the system asymmetric and continuing always on one side
one gets a linear increase in force distributing outward ending branches.

To not go diagonal one can alternate the direction.

One basically gets a square wave zig-zag chain with overstands
and trying to pulling it straight distributes the force <be> to all "zigs" on one side and
to all "zags" on the other side.
The force distributing outputs are clamp-together or push-apart lever-pairs all along the chain.
All these pairs need to be connected to a load to not "free-wheel" collapse.

Complicatingly the axial position changes a bit due to the chain stretching a bit
when tensioned and distributing the load that also may suquiush/stretch a bit.

One can obviously pick various lever ratios.

Use cases

This can be used to …

• Clamp several things sideways too ReChain strut co-using the same internal ReChain core chain tension
• Clamp ReChain strut together sideways (Particularly with Fir tree joints)

Instead of clamping or spreading with the overstands one can
tap the output on the chain coaxial linking segment.
That has a pole in lever ration for the square wave geometry.

Used in reverse that can be used for tensioning ReChain core chains
Actually there wan would want jut one trapezoidal "zig" in the chain.
And friction might be a concerns (see below).

Friction limiting

If the force comes from the side of the zigs and zags
rather than from pulling on the zigzag chain
then a concern is friction adding up to the point of self-locking.
Especially for macroscale (and scale transposed prototyping).

Related

• RepRec
• Suitable mechanisms
• ReChain electrical diode analogy
• Why diodes in parallel are problematic
  (wiki-TODO: An image illustrating the mechanical problem would be helpful.)

External links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whippletree_(mechanism)

Misc

It is whipple not whiffle.
There are whiffle-shields which are an entirely different idea.