The original joint that mine is based on was originally called the "swallow"
Historical Usage
Used in trim and cabinetry as shown to the right.
Reduce number of different parts
Make easy to 3D print
Make pieces reversible and interchangeable
The different pieces of the joint were designed to be made out of plastic. The flexibility of the plastic is what allows the pieces to slide over one another and lock in place.
These pieces were fitted with forks at the ends to allow them to be strapped together with a third easily printed piece. These pieces are all reversible and can be flipped to be placed in any spot.
The basic unit combines to form this larger unit. this is what repeats and stacks throughout the final system with out any sort of transformation. The smaller unit is flipped and rotated to create this.
To begin aggregation I flipped an individual unit on top of the other. Lining up the members of the top unit with the one below. That pair was then mirrored. This was repeated and stacked in all directions.
The units meet at odd angles. However every other unit in the system repeats its orientation so there is always a place where the system comes together again.
I imagined this as a space making system. The way the units stack onto one another is odd and creates interesting visuals.
Overlapping lips were used to try to create a friction joint to hold the 4 pieces together. Each piece was the same and could be used flipped. there was some difficulty printing and the connection ultimately was not strong enough.