Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

CHAPTER – 5

SPRINGS
5.1. Springs

A spring is defined as an elastic body, whose function is to distort when loaded and to
recover its original shape when the load is removed.

5.2. Applications of Springs:

 To cushion, absorb or control energy due to either shock or vibration as in car

springs, railway buffers, air-craft landing gears, shock absorbers and vibration
dampers.
 To apply forces, as in brakes, clutches and spring loaded valves.
 To control motion by maintaining contact between two elements as in cams and
followers.
 To measure forces, as in spring balances and engine indicators.
 To store energy, as in watches, toys, etc.

5.3. Classifications of Springs

a) Helical Springs.

1. Compression Helical Spring

2. Tension Helical Spring

b) Conical and Volute Springs.

c) Torsion Springs.

d) Laminated (or) Leaf Springs.

e) Disc (or) Bellevile Springs.

f) Special Purpose Springs.

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

a). Helical springs.

The helical springs are made up of a wire coiled in the form of a helix and is 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. The two forms of helical springs are compression
helical spring and tension helical spring.

Compression Helical Spring

Tension Helical Spring

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

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°. 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. Since the
application of open coiled helical springs are limited, therefore our discussion shall confine to
closely coiled helical springs only.

Advantages of Helical Springs

 These are easy to manufacture.

 These are available in wide range.
 These are reliable.
 These have constant spring rate.
 Their performance can be predicted more accurately.
 Their characteristics can be varied by changing dimensions.

b). Conical and volute springs.

The conical and volute springs are used in special applications where a telescoping spring
or a spring with a spring rate that increases with the load is desired. The conical spring, as shown
in Fig. (a), is wound with a uniform pitch whereas the volute springs, as shown in Fig. (b), are
wound in the form of paraboloid with constant pitch and lead angles.

The springs may be made either partially or completely telescoping. In either case, the
number of active coils gradually decreases. The decreasing number of coils results in an
increasing spring rate. This characteristic is sometimes utilized in vibration problems where
springs are used to support a body that has a varying mass. The major stresses produced in
conical and volute springs are also shear stresses due to twisting.

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

(a). Conical Springs. (b). Volute Springs.

c). Torsion Springs.

These springs may be of helical or spiral type as shown in Fig. The helical type may be
used only in applications where the load tends to wind up the spring and are used in various
electrical mechanisms. The spiral type is also used where the load tends to increase the number
of coils and when made of flat strip are used in watches and clocks. The major stresses produced
in torsion springs are tensile and compressive due to bending.

(a) Helical torsion spring. (b) Spiral torsion spring.

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

d). Laminated or leaf springs.

The laminated or leaf spring (also known as flat spring or carriage spring) consists of a
number of flat plates (known as leaves) of varying lengths held together by means of clamps and
bolts, as shown in Fig. These are mostly used in automobiles. The major stresses produced in
leaf springs are tensile and compressive stresses.

Laminated or Leaf Springs

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

e). Disc or Belleville Springs.

These springs consist of a number of conical discs held together against slipping by a
central bolt or tube as shown in Figure. These springs are used in applications where high spring
rates and compact spring units are required. The major stresses produced in disc or bellevile
springs are tensile and compressive stresses.

f). Special Purpose Springs.

These springs are air or liquid springs, rubber springs, ring springs etc. The fluids (air or
liquid) can behave as a compression spring. These springs are used for special types of
application only.

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

Liquid Springs

Rubber Springs

Ring Springs

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

5.4. Material for Helical Springs

The material of the spring should have high fatigue strength, high ductility, high
resilience and it should be creep resistant. It largely depends upon the service for which they
are used i.e. severe service, average service or light service.

Severe service means rapid continuous loading where the ratio of minimum to maximum
load (or stress) is one-half or less, as in automotive valve springs.

Average service includes the same stress range as in severe service but with only
intermittent operation, as in engine governor springs and automobile suspension springs.

Light service includes springs subjected to loads that are static or very infrequently varied,
as in safety valve springs.

The springs are mostly made from oil-tempered carbon steel wires containing 0.60 to
0.70 per cent carbon and 0.60 to 1.0 per cent manganese. Music wire is used for small
springs. Non-ferrous materials like phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, monel metal, brass
etc., may be used in special cases to increase fatigue resistance, temperature resistance and
corrosion resistance.

5.5. Stresses in Helical Springs of Circular Wire

Consider a helical compression spring made of circular wire and subjected to an axial load W,

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

1) Twisting Moment (T)

Where:
D = Mean diameter of the spring coil,
d = Diameter of the spring wire,
W = F = Axial load on the spring,
= Torsional Shear Stress

2) Torsional Shear Stress:

Where:
D = Mean diameter of the spring coil,
d = Diameter of the spring wire,
W = F = Axial load on the spring,
= Torsional Shear Stress
3) Maximum shear stress induced in the wire ( ,

Shear Stress Factor (Ks)

Spring Index:
The spring index is defined as the ratio of the mean diameter of the coil to the
diameter of the wire. Mathematically,

Spring index, C = D / d

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

Example 5.1.

A compression coil spring made of an alloy steel is having the outer diameter 60 mm and

wire diameter 8 mm. The axial load apply in the spring 600 N. Find out the torsional shear stress

of the spring coil.

Given Data:

Do = 60 mm

d = 8 mm

F = 600 N

To Find:

Torsional shear stress of the spring coil ( .

Solution:

Torsional shear stress of the spring coil (

Mean Diameter (D) = Outer diameter – Wire diameter.

D = Do – d
D = 60 – 8 = 52 mm.

Result:

Torsional shear stress of the spring coil (

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

Example 5.2.

A compression coil spring made of a stainless steel material is having the wire diameter

10 mm. The axial load applies in the spring coil 650 N. The torsional shear stress of the spring

coil 180 MPa. Determine the outer diameter of the spring.

Given Data:

d = 10 mm

F = 650 N

To Find:

The outer diameter of the spring (Do).

Solution:

Torsional shear stress of the spring coil (

D = 108.74 mm
Outer diameter = Mean Diameter + Wire diameter.

Do = D + d

Do = 108.74 + 10 = 118.74 mm.

Do = 118.74 mm.

Result:

The outer diameter of the spring (Do) = 118.74 mm.

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

Example 5.3.

A compression coil spring made of an alloy steel is having the following specifications:

Mean diameter of coil = 50 mm;

Wire diameter = 5 mm;

Number of active coils = 20. If this spring is subjected to an axial load of 500 N ;

Calculate the maximum shear stress (Neglect the curvature effect) to which the spring material is
subjected.

Given Data:

D = 50 mm

d = 5 mm

n = 20

F = 500 N

To Find:

The Maximum Shear Stress ( .

Solution:

The Maximum Shear Stress ( .

Shear Stress Factor (Ks)

Spring Index:
The spring index is defined as the ratio of the mean diameter of the coil to the
diameter of the wire. Mathematically,

Spring index, C = D / d

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

C=

Result:

Maximum Torsional shear stress of the spring coil (

Example 5.4.

A compression coil spring made of an alloy steel is having wire diameter 8 mm,

maximum shear stress is 600 MPa. The shear stress factor is 1.1. The maximum load 800 N.

Determine the outer diameter of the spring.

Given Data:

d = 8 mm

Ks = 1.1.

F = 800 N

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering

Machine Elements - I Institute of Technology – Hawassa University

To Find:

Outer diameter of the spring (Do).

Solution:

The Maximum Shear Stress ( .

D = 137.08 mm

Outer diameter = Mean Diameter + Wire diameter.

Do = D + d

Do = 137.08 + 8 = 145.08 mm.

Do = 145.08 mm.

Result:

Outer diameter of the spring (Do) = 145.08 mm.

All the Best.

Dr. S. RAJKUMAR Department of Mechanical Engineering