Any more compact self-activating piston designs?

Question

I need to push incoming blocks in a new direction using a piston activated as soon as there is a new block to be pushed. In the screenshot, if the block from below is pushed in front of the piston, it passes the signal, powers the piston, the piston pushes it away and retracts awaiting another block. That circuit satisfies my needs (for vertical->sideways transport) but is awfully "verbose" with 2x5 footprint. I'm fairly sure I saw similar circuits using one torch or something else about as compact.

I'm also in need similar circuits for turning the "stream of blocks" horizontally (say incoming from east, push to north) and horizontal-to-vertical (e.g. incoming from east push down or up).

Answer 1

Horizontal to horizontal (north to east, etc)
Use the same design, but put a redstone torch under the "hotspot" where the blocks will be pushed towards.

Horizontal to downward
Note that the input can be received from either opposing side (and you can move either the "red power line" or the "white receiver line" if you want to two "inputs" to come at 90 degree angles instead)

Horizontal to upward
Same as the above design, the input can be received from either opposing side (and you can move either the "red power line" or the "receiver line" (the one with the repeater) if you want to two "inputs" to come at 90 degree angles instead).

• The piston is a sticky piston.
• The repeater has to be set to 2 ticks.
• The glass block is required (but can be replaced by any transparent or non-solid, pushable block)
• The half-slabs are required (but can be of any material, or glowstone can be used instead)