UNIVERSITY OF THE CORDILLERAS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

BEC 3 STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

MODULE 3: TORSION
UNIT 4: HELICAL SPRINGS
Prepared by:
Brian Jhay Guzman, CE, RMP, ME-1
 UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, here are the following desired learning outcomes:
✘ Identify the formula for the maximum shearing stress helical
springs.
✘ Identify the formula for the elongation of helical springs.
✘ Incorporate helical springs in statically indeterminate members.

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 HELICAL SPRINGS
The helical springs are made up of a wire coiled in the form of a helix and
are primarily intended for compressive or tensile loads. The cross-section
of the wire from which the spring is made may be circular, square or
rectangular. Helical compression springs have applications to resist
applied compression forces or in the push mode, store energy to provide
the "push". Different forms of compression springs are produced.
The helical springs are said to be closely coiled when the spring wire is
coiled so close that the plane containing each turn is nearly at right
angles to the axis of the helix and the wire is subjected to torsion. in other
words, in a closely coiled helical spring, the helix angle is very small, it is
usually less than 10 degree. The major stresses produced in helical springs
are shear stresses due to twisting. The load applied is parallel to or along
the axis of the spring. In open coiled helical springs, the spring wire is
coiled in such a way that there is a gap between the two consecutive
turns, as a result of which the helix angle is large.

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 HELICAL SPRINGS

*This formula neglects the curvature of the spring. This is used for light spring where the ratio 𝑑/4𝑅 is
small.
Where:
𝑃 = 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑
𝑅 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠
𝑑 = 𝑤𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟

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 HELICAL SPRINGS

Where:
𝑃 = 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑
𝑅 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠
𝑑 = 𝑤𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝐺 = 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑦
𝑛 = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠

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EXAMPLE 1. 𝜏=
16𝑃𝑅
1+
𝑑
𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛: 𝜋𝑑 4𝑅
A helical spring is fabricated by
𝛿 = 4 𝑖𝑛 64𝑃𝑅 𝑛
wrapping wire 3/4 𝑖𝑛. in diameter 𝛿=
𝐷 = 8 𝑖𝑛, 𝑅 = 4 𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑑
around a forming cylinder 8 𝑖𝑛. in 3
diameter. Compute the number of 𝑑 = 𝑖𝑛
4
turns required to permit an 𝐺 = 12 × 106 𝑝𝑠𝑖
elongation of 4 𝑖𝑛. without 𝜏 ≤ 18 𝑘𝑠𝑖 = 18000 𝑝𝑠𝑖 3 𝑙𝑏
exceeding a shearing stress of 𝜋
4
𝑖𝑛 18000
𝑖𝑛
18 𝑘𝑠𝑖. 𝐺 = 12 × 106 𝑝𝑠𝑖. Required: 𝑃=
𝑛 = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 3
𝑖𝑛
16(4 𝑖𝑛) 1 + 4
4 4 𝑖𝑛
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑃 = 356.0667 𝑙𝑏𝑠
64𝑃𝑅 𝑛 𝛿𝐺𝑑 Therefore,
𝛿= →𝑛=
𝐺𝑑 64𝑃𝑅
𝑙𝑏 3
Solving for P (4 𝑖𝑛) 12 × 10 4 𝑖𝑛
𝑖𝑛
𝑛=
64(356.0667 𝑙𝑏)(4 𝑖𝑛)
16𝑃𝑅 𝑑 𝜋𝑑 𝜏
𝜏= 1+ →𝑃=
𝜋𝑑 4𝑅 𝑑 𝑛 = 10.413 ≈ 10 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠
16𝑅 1 + 4𝑅

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EXAMPLE 1. 𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛:
Required: 𝜏=
16𝑃𝑅
1+
𝑑
𝛿=
64𝑃𝑅 𝑛
𝑛 = 20 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝜋𝑑 4𝑅 𝐺𝑑
A rigid bar, pinned at O, is supported by two 𝑊
identical springs as shown. Each spring 3
𝑑 = 𝑖𝑛
consists of 20 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 of 3/4 − 𝑖𝑛 − 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 4 64𝑃 𝑅 𝑛 64𝑃 𝑅 𝑛
wire having a mean diameter of 6 𝑖𝑛. 𝐷 = 6 𝑖𝑛, 𝑅 = 3 𝑖𝑛 2× =
𝐺 𝑑 𝐺 𝑑
Determine the maximum load W that may be 𝜏 ≤ 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖 = 20000 𝑝𝑠𝑖
supported if the shearing stress in the Since,
springs is limited to 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖.
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑅 = 𝑅 ,𝑛 = 𝑛 ,𝐺 = 𝐺 ,𝑑 = 𝑑
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 − 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚 2𝑃 = 𝑃
Σ𝑀 = 0 Recall
-2𝑃 − 4𝑃 + 7𝑊 = 0 16𝑃𝑅 𝑑 𝜋𝑑 𝜏
𝜏= 1+ →𝑃=
2𝑃 + 4𝑃 𝜋𝑑 4𝑅 𝑑
16𝑅 1 + 4𝑅
𝑊=
7
The two springs will not be 𝜋𝑑 𝜏 𝜋𝑑 𝜏
2 =
subjected to the allowable shear 𝑑 𝑑
16𝑅 1+ 16𝑅 1+
stress of 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖 at the same time. 4𝑅 4𝑅

𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚 Since,

𝛿 𝛿 𝑅 = 𝑅 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑 = 𝑑
= → 2𝛿 = 𝛿
2 4 2𝜏 = 𝜏
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EXAMPLE 1. 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:
𝜏=
16𝑃𝑅
1+
𝑑
𝛿=
64𝑃𝑅 𝑛
2𝜏 = 𝜏 𝜋𝑑 4𝑅 𝐺𝑑
A rigid bar, pinned at O, is supported by two
identical springs as shown. Each spring 𝐼𝑓 𝜏 = 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖
consists of 20 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 of 3/4 − 𝑖𝑛 − 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
wire having a mean diameter of 6 𝑖𝑛. 2(20 𝑘𝑠𝑖) = 𝜏 3 𝑙𝑏
𝜋 4 𝑖𝑛 10000
Determine the maximum load W that may be 𝑖𝑛
𝜏 = 40 𝑘𝑠𝑖 > 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖 𝑃 = = 259.874 𝑙𝑏𝑠
supported if the shearing stress in the 3
𝑖𝑛
springs is limited to 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖. This means that spring 2 will fail. 16(3 𝑖𝑛) 1 + 4
4 3 𝑖𝑛
𝐼𝑓 𝜏 = 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖
3 𝑙𝑏
𝜋 4 𝑖𝑛 20000
2𝜏 = (20 𝑘𝑠𝑖) 𝑖𝑛
𝑃 = = 519.749 𝑙𝑏𝑠
3
𝜏 = 10 𝑘𝑠𝑖 < 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖 𝑂. 𝐾. 𝑖𝑛
16(3 𝑖𝑛) 1 + 4
4 3 𝑖𝑛
This means that spring 1will NOT
fail. Therefore

Therefore we can say that spring 2𝑃 + 4𝑃

𝑊=
2 will be subjected to 20 𝑘𝑠𝑖, and 7
spring 1 only 10 𝑘𝑠𝑖. 2(259.874) + 4(519.749)
𝑊=
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑃 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑃 7
𝑊 = 371.249 𝑙𝑏𝑠
𝜋𝑑 𝜏
𝑃=
𝑑
16𝑅 1 + 4𝑅
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 thanks!
Any questions?
[email protected]

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