The Many Forms and Features of Flat Springs

Flat parabolic springs are excellent examples of engineering marvels that come wrapped in small packages. They get their name from their small, stamped and generally flattened appearance. As with springs of any kind, these inventions are designed to store kinetic energy that is released when the spring is deflected by an external load.

These springs can come in different configurations, depending on the kind of applications they're used for. The more common forms they take up include flat coil springs and leaf springs. Both forms are commonly used in automobile applications, though they may also act as a ground or a spacer.

In their flat coil form, these parabolic springs are normally used in conjunction with counterweights to regulate the operation of valves in automobile. The spring can be wound in such a way as to provide tension, absorb shock or even to provide support in seats.

On the other hand, leaf springs play an important role in vehicle suspensions, where they help reduce the wear and tear on other parts and provide stability. They are also found on steering or drive axles, and factor into other aspects of automobile repair and design.

Leaf springs may be further subdivided into three types, each with different designs. Parabolic springs possess layers of tapered leaves stacked one on top of the other. Mono-leaf springs have a single steel plate tapered uniformly from the center to both ends of the spring. Finally, multi-leaf flat springs have metal stacks of diminishing lengths connected to each other by a bolt that goes right through the center.