I've bitten the bullet and ordered the steel to re-make the attachment of my hedge flail that I've been banging on about in various other posts, and as I start to build it I will start a suitable thread - however this is more a theoretical question.
Imagine a ladder like structure - two parallel rails joined by 'rungs' for half the length, but the other half only joined at the extreme end. This end can (hopefully) be regarded as firmly fixed. The end where the 'rungs' are has a very uneven load creating a significant twist or torque.
Am I correct in thinking there is virtually nothing to be gained by adding rungs to increase the stiffness to resist this twist, and about the only way is to add a third member parallel but above (or below), and triangulate the structure ?
Conceptually imagine two rails, built into a wall, projecting horizontally out from the wall, joined together for the outer half of their length, then a force trying to twist them along their length.
(The 'rungs' are the main body of the flail and the extreme ends will be joined to the tractor axle. The flail head and arm weighs perhaps 75-100 kgs and project only to one side)