SPRING TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS

ACTIVE COILS
Those coils which are free to deflect under load.
ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP OF ENDS
The relative position of the plane of the hooks or loops of extension spring to each other.
BUCKLING
Bowing or lateral deflection of compression springs when compressed, related to the
slenderness ration (L/D).
CLOSED ENDS
nds of compression springs where the pitch of the end coils is reduced so that the end
coils touch.
CLOSED AND GROUND ENDS
!s with closed ends, except that the end is ground to provide a flat plane.
CLOSE-WOUND
"oiled with ad#acent coils touching.
COILS PER INCH
$ame as %&itch%
DEFLECTION
'otion of the spring ends or arms under the application or removal of an external load.
ELASTIC LIMIT
'aximum stress to which a material ma( )e su)#ected without permanent set.
ENDURANCE LIMIT
'aximum stress at which an( given material ma( operate indefinitel( without failure for
a given minimum stress.
FREE ANGLE
!ngle )etween the arms of a torsion spring when the spring is not loaded.
FREE LENGTH
The overall length of a spring in the unloaded position.
FREQUENCY (NATURAL)
The lowest inherent rate of free vi)ration of a spring itself (usuall( in c(cles per second)
with ends restrained.
HYSTERESIS
The mechanical energ( loss that alwa(s occurs under c(clical loading and unloading of a
spring, proportional to the are )etween the loading and unloading load*deflection curves
within the elastic range of a spring.
INITIAL TENSION
The force that tends to keep the coils of an extension spring closed and which must )e
overcome )efore the coil starts to open.
LOOPS
"oil*like wire shapes at the ends of extension springs that provide for attachment and
force application.
MEAN COIL DIAMETER
+utside wire diameter minus one wire diameter.
MODULUS IN SHEAR OR TORSION
"oefficient of stiffness for extension and compression springs.
MODULUS IN TENSION OR BENDING
"oefficient of stiffness used for torsion and flat springs. (,oung-s modulus).
OPEN ENDS, NOT GROUND
nd of a compression spring with a constant pitch for each coil.
OPEN ENDS GROUND
%+pens ends, not ground% followed )( an end grinding operation.
PERMANENT SET
! material that is deflected so far that its elastic properties have )een exceeded and it
does not return to its original condition upon release of load is said to have taken a
%permanent set%.
PITCH
The distance from center to center of the wire in ad#acent active coils.
RATE
"hanges in load per unit of deflection, generall( given in pounds per inch (l)s/in).
REMOVE SET
The process of closing to a solid height a compression spring which has )een coiled
longer than the desired finished length, so as to increase the elastic limit.
SET
&ermanent distortion which occurs when a spring is stressed )e(ond the elastic limit of
the material.
SLENDERNESS RATIO
.atio of spring length to mean coil diameter.
SOLID HEIGHT
Length of a compression spring when under sufficient load to )ring all coils into contact
with ad#acent coils.
SPRING INDEX
.atio of mean coil diameter to wire diameter.
$pring /ndex
The spring index is the relationship )etween the mean diameter and wire diameter. The
e0uation is shown )elow. This is a ver( important relationship to consider for
manufacturing ease and cost control. !s a general rule the index should )e a)ove 1 and
less than 23. $prings designed outside these limits increase cost and re0uire more
tolerance.
$prings with small indexes increase tooling wear and are more likel( to re0uire additional
processing steps to ensure ade0uate life. Large index springs often re0uire additional
tolerance on )oth diameter and length.
/ 4
D d
where /4 index, D4 'ean "oil Diameter, d45ire Diameter
STRESS RANGE
The difference in operating stresses at minimum and maximum loads.
SQUARENESS OF ENDS
!ngular deviation )etween the axis o a compression spring and a normal to the plane of
the other ends.
SQUARENESS UNDER LOAD
!s in s0uareness of ends, except with the spring under load.
TORQUE
! twisting action in torsion springs which tends to produce rotation, e0ual to the load
multiplied )( the distance (or moment arm) from the load to the axis of the spring )od(.
6suall( expressed in inch*o7, inch*pounds or in foot*pounds.
TOTAL NUMBER OF COILS
8um)er of active coils plus the coils forming the ends.