Flat and Non-flat spiral springs
Springs
A spring, an elastic object, is a mechanical device designed to store energy when deflected and to
return the equivalent amount of energy rvhen released.
Spiral spring
This is a spring consisting of a uniform wire coiled usually in a flat spiral or in a helix.
We may imagine the spiral spring formed by winding the wire uniformly on a cylinder of radius
R. Two cases arise, i.e.
Theplane of the wire may either be practically perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, or it may
make a small angle with it.
Flat spiral spring
When the plane of the wire may be practically perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, then the
type of spiral spring formed is referred to as flat.
Suppose a flat spiral spring of length L andradius R is fixed
at its upper end and a load W is attached to the lower free
end. When the load is pulled down at a distance x, then the
angle of shear produced in the spring is Q = v 1p.
If C be the torsional rigrdity of the wire forming in the
spring
cu-
=*Tu (1),
zr
wlrere r,l andr are the radius, the total lenglh and the shear
modulus of the wire, respectively.
R
Due to the twisting angle @ in the wire under the
#
application of load, the twisting couple can be defined as
x
t=C0
Fig. 1
Let the load W is depressed and then released. When its displacement is x, the twist in the wire is
increased by a small amount df, then the work done in twisting the wire is
dW=rdQ-CfdQ
g,/ _
1 lntrra x2 nfir+xz
(2)
'. ZCQ, Z2IR2 4lR2
which is stored up in the wire as an additional potential energy
ln tlris position, Whasbeen lowered by x and the center of gravity of the spring by xl2, so that the
change ofpotential energy from these effects is
nrr4xZ x
(3)
Arlz 12
where l7'r is the weight of the spring.
--Wx-W-
At the same position, the load llzwill have kinetic erergy (KE) equal to
2
1.W
2g dt
and the spring itself possesses KE. To calculate the KE of the spring itself, consider an element of
length ds at adistance s from the fixed end shown in the figure below, then the mass element per
unit length of the spring is
W.
d.s
-gL
s
If the depression of the ds element isy, then we can write
yx x dy sdx L ds
SL
-f -y=ft dt Ldt v
So, the KE of that mass element is
lL o, (U\' =!w]=(*\' r, a,
z gt*" \dt ) sLs \dt I
2
Therefore, the KE cf the u'hole spring
;#(#)' f"'o':;*{#)'
Fitrally, the total KE of the system is
(4)
*(*.+)(#)'
From the principle of energy conservation
*(* +L)(#)' .#-wx-w,;=have
consrant
Differentiating this with respect to I and rearranging the terms, we
ifu .+) (H#
.# (#) - {* *+) (#) =,
-(#)h@.+) #.#-(w.9] =o
d2x nrra gx (w **)n
". _+
dtz' ---n t2),
nR2 (w * $) (* *w=)
wlrere dx / dt * 0 and which represents the differential equation for the periodic motion of a loaded
flat spiral spring, taking place about a displacement zero with a period f6, given by
2,*2 (w *+)
to = 2tt rLIET4 g
Effective mass of a sprino
It is defined as the mass that it seems to have when responding to forces.
ln a real spring-mass system, the spring itself has a mass m. Since not all of the spring's length
moves at the same velocity v as the suspended mass,4.{, its kinetic energy is not equal ta m's212. As
such, m cannot he simply added to ]v[ to determine the frecluency of ascillation, and the effective
mass of the spring is defined as the mass that needs to be added to M to correctly predict the
behavior oJ' the system .
The effective mass of the spring in a spring-mass system when using an ideal spring of
uniform linear density (measure of a quantity of any characteristic value e.g. tnass, charge etc.
lter unit of tength) is 1/3 of the mass of the spring and is independent of the direction of the spring-
mass system (i.e., horizontal, vertical, and oblique systems all have the same effective mass)
because of no external acceleration for the period of motion around the equilibrium point.
Non-flat spiral spring
if an eiement of the spiral is inclined at an angie a with the
horizontal plane when the spring is stretched by a force W,thenthe
spring will be non-flat.
Consider any point,4 on the coils, if R is the radius of the cylinder
on whiclr the coits are woultd, the extenialr'torsional couple al is I
lf,R. This couple, produced by the load W, may be resolved into
two componeflts, one WR cosn acting in the plane of the section at
A andproducing a uniform twist / per unit length of the wrre, given
by
nnraq
IzllR cos o.= (3)
T
The other component WR sina acting with its axis perpendicular to section at ,4, constitutes a
bending moment and produces a change in curvature at A given by
I//R sin a 4WR sln s
Yakz Yma
so, if ds is an element of the length of the wire, this element is bent through an angle
4WRsina
(4)
Ynra
-ds
\
Considering the vertical displacements of the free and resulting from the twisting and bending, we
have from (3), since the section is inclined at an angle a to the vertical, a vertical displacement
equal to
2WR2lcos2 s
Rl@coso=G-
and, arising from (4), an additional vertical movement
AWRsina rt 4wRzlsLnz a
yrra *"'-
Rsina I ds
'-
Jo**= yrra
Hence, the total vertical displacement is
2W RzI lcos2 a Zsinz s.
*
lrr* [" Y
In addition to the vertical motion of the free end, there will be angular displacernent in the
horizontal plane. Thus, from (3), the torsion gives rise to a horizontal angular shift of
zWRl sin a cos a
ISsina: nfir4
this will cause the spring to coil up, since it acts inwards.
In a sirnilar manner the bending moment will produce a horizontal angular rotation of the free end,
which from (4), is given by
4WRsina cosd 4WRl sin a cos a
Ytr+ T,
ot = -----n;;i-,
and this causes the spring to uncoil, since it acts outwards.
The total angular displacement as the spring coils up is therefore
ZWR| sin c cos a
fir4 h,-e
and is greatest, when a : 45".
The spring will coil up, or uncoil, according as
!> or.1
TLY
For most metals, Y > 2n, and spiral springs formed of wires of circular cross-sections tend to coil
up when an extending force is applied to their free ends.
