S

P
R
I
N
G
D. M. Gadhave,
Lect. In Mechanical Engg.
Govt. Polytechnic, Bramhapuri
Introduction

• A spring is defined as an elastic body whose function

is to deform when loaded and to recover its original
shape when load is removed. The various application
of springs are:
• 1. To absorbs energy due to shock or vibration e.g.
shock absorber.
• 2. To apply forces as in brakes or clutches.
• 3. To control the motion by maintaining contact
between two element as in cam and follower.
• 4. To measure forces as in spring balance.
• 5. To store energy as in watches or toys.
Types of spring

• According to their shapes, the springs

are classified as
• 1. Helical spring
• 2. Conical or Volute spring
• 3. Torsional spring
• 4. Laminated or leaf spring
• 5. Disc or billevile springs
1. Helical springs

• The helical springs are made up of a wire

coiled in the form of helix. The cross
section may be rectangular, square or
circular depending upon the type of load
or deflection required. The load is applied
along the axis of the spring. The two form
of helical springs are compression helical
springs and tension helical springs are
shown in fig.
2. Conical or Volute Spring

• In this type of spring the coils are

arranged in the shape of frustum of
cone. They may be rectangular or
square. The conical; springs usually
works in compression and are used
where space limitation prohibits. The
volute spring are wound in the form of
paraboloid with constant pitch. They are
used in special application where spring
rate increases with the load is desired.
• They are used to support a body which
has varying mass causing vibration
problem.
3. Torsional Spring

• They may be classified as helical or spiral

type. Spiral spring are made of flat strip
wound in the form of spiral and loaded in
torsion. Helical torsional spring are
manufactured by wounding a wire like
compression spring and load is tangentially
as shown in fig.
• Application :- In mechanical watches,
Clocks, door hinges etc.
4. Leaf spring

• A leaf spring is of semielliptical form and

consists of leaves held together by means of
clamps and bolts.

• Application: in automobile
5. Disc or Billevile Spring

• These springs consists of number of

conical disc held together against a
central bolts. They are stacked up one
on top of another in order to increase
the deflection.
Terms used in Compression springs
Terms used in Compression springs

• 1. Outer Diameter of Coil :-

• It is the highest diameter of coil. It is
denoted by Do.
• 2. Inner Diameter of Coil :-
• It is the highest diameter of coil. It is
denoted by Di
• 3. Mean Diameter of Coil :-
• Mean diameter is the overall outside diameter of
the spring less one wire diameter. It is denoted by
D.
Terms used in Compression springs

• D = D0 – d = D i + d
• Wire Diameter :-
• It is the diameter of wire which forms the
helical spring. It is denoted by d.
• Active turns :-
• The turns which imparts the spring action
is called as Active turns. It is denoted by
n.
Terms used in Compression springs

• Inactive turns :-
• The turns which does not imparts the spring
action is called as Active turns.
• Solid Length :-
• When the compression spring is compressed
until the coils comes in contact with each
other is said to be solid. The solid length of a
spring is product of total no. of coils and the
diameter of wire. Mathematically,
Terms used in Compression springs

• Solid Length Ls = n’ x d
• Where n’ = Total number of colis
• d = diameter of wire
• Free Length :-
• The free length of a compression spring is the
length of spring in free or unloaded condition. It
is equal to the solid length plus the maximum
defection or compression of spring plus the
clearance between the adjacent coil when
compressed. Mathematically,
Terms used in Compression springs

• Free length of spring,

• Lf = Solid + Maximum + Clearance
Length Deflection Betn adj. coil
• The clearance is expressed by two ways. When the clearance is
expressed as in terms of 15 % of maximum deflection.
• Lf = n’ d + δmax + 0.15 δmax
• When the clearance is assumed as 1 mm between adjacent
coil,
• Lf = n’ d + δmax + (n’ -1) x 1 mm
Terms used in Compression springs

• Spring Index :-
• The spring is defined as the ratio of the
mean diameter of coil to the diameter
of wire. It is denoted by C.
Mathematically,
• Spring Index C = D / d
• Where D= Mean dia. Of coil.
• d = Diameter of wire
Terms used in Compression springs

• Spring Rate/ Spring Stiffness/ Spring

Constant (k):-
• It is defined the load required per unit
deflection of spring. It is denoted by k.
Mathematically,
• Spring Rate k = W / δ
• where W = Load
• δ = Deflection of spring.
Terms used in Compression springs

• Pitch p :-
• The pitch of coil is defined as the axial
distance between adjacent coils in
uncompressed state. Mathematically,
• Pitch of coil p= Free length / n’ -1
• The pitch of the coil may also be
obtained by using
• Pitch of coil p= Lf – Ls + d
n’
End connection for Spring
End connection for Spring

• Square and ground end :-

• In this, the nearest approach to an axial
load is secured by square and ground ends
and thus they are commonly used.
• For square and ground end
• n‘ = n + 2
• n‘ = Total number of coil
• n = Total number of active turns/ coil
Stresses in Helical spring

• Consider a helical compression spring made of

circular wire and subjected to an axial load of W as
shown in Fig.
Stresses in Helical spring

• Let D = Mean diameter of spring coil

• d = diameter of the spring wire.
• n = Number of active coils
• G = Modulus of rigidity for the spring material
• W = Axial load on the spring
• ζ = Maximum shear stress induced in the wire.
• C = Spring Index = D / d
• p= Pitch of the coil
• δ = Deflection of spring due to load W.
• Derivation from book
Stresses in Helical spring

• The torsional shear stress diagram is shown in fig. a.

Wahl’s Correction Factor

• The maximum shear stress induced in the

wire is given by
• ζ = Ks x 8 W D
Π d3
• where Ks = Shear stress factor = 1 + 1/2C
• In the above equation only the torsional shear stress and direct shear
stress are considered. But the effect of curvature is neglected.
• When the wire is bent in the form of helical coil, the curvature of coil
increases the stress on inside of the spring and at the same time,
decreases the stress on outside of the spring. Thus the length of
inner fiber is less than the outer fiber.
Wahl’s Correction Factor

• This results in stress concentration at the

inside of the fiber and this effect is
considerably larger than low values of
spring index. In order to consider the effect
of both shear as well as curvature of the
wire, a Wahl’s correction factor (K) is
introduced by A. M. Wahl. The resultant
diagram torsional shear , direct shear and
curvature shear stress is shown in Fig d.
Wahl’s Correction Factor

• The maximum shear stress induced in the wire

is given by
• ζ = K x8WD = K x8WC
Π d3 Π d2
• where K = Wahl’s correction factor and is given
by
• K = 4C-1/4C-4 + 0.615/C
• The values of K for given spring index is
obtained from the graph.
•
Wahl’s Correction Factor

• From the fig, it can be concluded that

Wahl’s stress factor increases very
rapidly as the spring index decreasess.
Deflection of coil

•δ = 8 W D 3
n = 8 W C 3
n
Gd4 Gd

• Spring stiffness or rate

G d4 Gd
• k= W/ δ = =
8 D n
3
8 C3 n
Energy stored in spring

• From books
Spring in series and parallel

• From books
Leaf Spring

• Leaf springs are made out of flat plates. The

advantage of leaf spring over the helical spring
is that the ends of spring guided along a
definite path as it deflects to acts as structural
member in addition to energy absorbing
devices. Thus the leaf spring may carry lateral
loads, brake torque in addition to shocks. A
leaf spring commonly used in automobile is of
semielliptical form is shown in fig.
Leaf Spring
Leaf Spring

• A leaf spring is of semielliptical form and consists

of plates or leaves.
• The longest leaf is called as master leaf and has
its ends formed in the shape of an eye though
which bolts are pressed to secure the springs to
its supports.
• The other leaves are called graduated leaves
which are arranged in the order of decreasing
length and clamped to the master leaf with help
of strips.