Ask ‘What is a coil spring?’ and the first thought is likely the image of a Slinky walking end-over-end down a flight of stairs. Less likely, at least to the uninitiated, are thoughts of a mechanical device that has become an integral part of our everyday life. Though hidden in plain sight, you can find the coil spring, also known as the helical spring, everywhere, from toasters, retractable pens and playground toys to vehicular suspension systems, garden gates, and household furniture. In the modern world, the coil spring is truly indispensable.
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History of the Coil Spring
Types of springs have been around for centuries. In ancient Egypt, leaf springs were used by the pharaoh Tutankhamun on his carriages to provide stability and comfort. A stretched spring, perhaps the most widely used, are best exemplified by the bow and arrow, where the tension and energy found in the bow, i.e., the spring, is transferred to the string upon release of the arrow.
Nevertheless, the principles of the coil spring were conceived by the 17th-century English scientist and philosopher, Robert Hooke. In , Hooke’s Law explained the elasticity of solid bodies and the relation of tension and resistance when an elastic body is subjected to stress. His law, that the extension of an elastic object is directly proportional to the force applied to it, was applied a near century later when R. Tradwell received the first patent for a coil spring. However, not until was the first coil spring produced. That was made from steel wire for use in armchairs.
Since then, the coil spring has found many applications, uses, and designs. They are made by bending a strand of wire into a multi-turn, helical coil. Through continuous turns, the strand of wire forms a helix that converts it into an energy storage mechanism. Three common types of coil spring designs are compression, extension, and torsion.
Types of coil springs
A compression spring is an elastic coil, made of spring steel, or another non-ferrous metal, and is very efficient at building up energy when loaded. As the name suggests, the main characteristic of compression coil springs is to absorb force or provide resistance when the spring is being compressed. When in an unloaded state, the spring has space between its coils. When loaded, the spaces between the coils are compressed creating the energy to carry the load. To be effective, the coils of a compression spring must not be compressed to the point that the coils touch each other. This is a sure sign that the load is either too heavy or the spring is shot or both, and its service life has ended. A compression spring comes in many shapes and sizes—conical, hourglass and barrel—and can be used as a shock absorber, vibration damper, a pure energy accumulator, or force generator. Compression spring applications include mattresses, medical devices, pens, notebooks, car suspension systems and pogo sticks.
An extension, or tension coil spring, is named as such because the energy potential of the spring is realized through resistance when stretched or extended. Extension springs are coiled more tightly than compression springs. Commonly, they have an eyehook or simply a hook at each end of the coil for attachment to other components. When the spring is attached, the tension and resistance control constant energy. The further the spring is extended, the greater the resistance and energy is released. Extension springs are found in farm equipment from tractors to combine harvesters, in washing machines to stabilize the drum, in many toys and most baby carriages, and they provide the bounce for trampolines.
Instead of being compressed or extended, a torsion spring is coiled to store potential energy. Common applications for this type of spring are clothespins and mouse traps. Torsion springs obey Hooke’s Law, but the spring works at an angle and is designed to resist twisting actions rather than compressing or extending. With tension springs, torque replaces force, and angular distance in radians replaces linear distance.
The coiled spring is a device that stores mechanical potential energy. In today’s world, springs are common and can be found in just about every industry. If you’re still asking yourself ‘What is a coil spring?’ contact us and we’d be happy to help! We design and manufacture standard and custom springs for industrial and commercial applications for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).
Coil springs make up part of the Suspension System, which is the link between the vehicle body and the wheels. The purpose of suspension is to:
locate the wheels, whilst allowing them to move up and down, and steer
maintain the wheels in contact with the road and minimise road noise
distribute the weight of the vehicle to the wheels
reduce vehicle weight as much as possible – in particular the unsprung mass
resist the effects of steering, braking and acceleration
work in conjunction with the tyres and seat springs to give acceptable ride comfort
This full list is difficult to achieve completely and so different vehicles have different suspension systems, these depend on what the vehicle is designed to do. A compromise is reached, one that fits the fiscal demands of the overall car. A sports car will dedicate more of the design budget to the suspension than a small economical car.
Are you interested in learning more about heavy duty tension springs? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
The effect of suspension
As a wheel hits a bump in the road, it is moved upwards with quite some force. An unsprung wheel is affected only by gravity, which will try to return the wheel to the road surface. However, most of the energy will be transferred to the body. When a spring is used between the wheel and the vehicle body, most of the energy in the bouncing wheel is stored in the spring and not passed to the vehicle body. The vehicle body will only move upwards through a very small distance compared to the movement of the wheel.
Springs
These parts of the suspension system take up the movement or shock from the road. The energy of the movement is stored in the spring. The actual spring itself can be in many different forms, ranging from a steel coil to a pressurised chamber of nitrogen. Soft springs provide the best comfort, but stiff springs can be better for high performance. Vehicle springs and suspension therefore are made to provide a compromise between good handling and comfort. Coil springs can have applications for comfort, economy or performance. They are a popular choice for many vehicles, they require little attention and can be easily replaced following failure. Popular alternatives to coil springs can include leaf springs or air bags.
Independent suspension systems
Coil springs are generally used with independent suspension systems – the springs are usually fitted on each side of the vehicle, between the stub axle assembly and the body. The spring remains in the correct position because recesses are made in both the stub axle assembly and body. The spring is always under compression due to the weight of the vehicle and hence holds itself in place.
Coil spring features
The coil spring is a torsion bar wound into a spiral. It can be progressive if the diameter of the spring is tapered conically. A coil spring cannot transmit lateral or longitudinal forces, hence the need for links or arms. It produces little internal damping. No maintenance is required and high travel is possible.
Coil springs are used in countless consumer and commercial products. You can find them in everything from mattresses and recliners to automotive suspension systems, medical instruments, lawnmowers and more. As their name suggests, coil springs are characterized by a coiled design. All coil springs are made of a single piece of coiled metal. Even if you’re familiar with them, however, you might be surprised to learn the following facts about coil springs.
Some of the first recorded uses of coil springs date back to Ancient Rome. Back then, Roman soldiers would wear pin-like clasps known as “fibulae.” There were different styles of fibulae, one of which consisted of a coil spring.
Not all coil springs are made of the same material. Depending on the application for which they are designed, some coil springs may feature a heavy-duty construction. Inexpensive coil springs are often made of aluminum. Heavy-duty coil springs, on the other hand, are often made of stainless steel or even titanium.
Coil springs are available in both compression and extension styles. Compression styles are designed to resist compression, whereas extension styles are designed to resist extension. When exposed to a load, compression styles will become shorter. Extension styles, in comparison, become longer when exposed to a load.
Spring rate refers to how much pressure a coil spring can withstand until its length changes by 1 inch. Both compression and extension styles will change their length. The spring rate of a compression coil spring represents the load required to shorten the spring by 1 inch. The spring rate of an extension coil spring represents the load required to extend the spring by 1 inch.
In addition to compression and extension, there are torsion coil springs available. Torsion springs are characterized by their ability to store rotational energy. They are still made of a single piece of coiled metal. While extension and compression coil springs are flat, however, torsion coil springs are typically helical.
Coil springs are mechanical devices used to store energy. They are distinguished from other types of springs, such as flat springs, by their coiled design. Whether compression, extension or even torsion, all coil springs are made of a single piece of coiled metal.
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