Algodoo

Usage examples of features of hinges for transfer torque/rotation.

Right circle - "input", you can use drag tool on them.
All hinges are low-constant, it required because hinges also works as springs.

Upper group is "mechanical-based", rotation and torque can be transferred as from right, as from left circle.
One is just with brakes on, it is widely used in various contraption.
The other one is bend-based, alike torsion - in simple words it's as a spring.

The other group is script-based, with one-way action, with different variations.
These hinges used local data-transfer script, so they would be easily copied (even between scenes), but it will affect on performance of scene if there are too much of similar things (due to overloading of scripts).