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From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Page of calculations for determining stress and wire size in steel springs.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 154\1\  scan0269
Date  7th April 1936 guessed
  
-2-

we get -

Substituting values and simplifying the expression
S = (P x D x 2.55) / (dia. of wire)^3 or d^3

P = Load in lbs.
D = Pitch diameter which is the O.D. of spring minus the wire size in inches.
d = dia. of wire in inches.
S = Stress in lbs/sq.in.

Examples of this equation are:-

Desired, the stress on 1.1/16" O.D. spring from 1/16" wire under a 5 lbs. load. Substituting, we find:
S = (5 x 1 x 2.55) / (0625)^3 = 52,250 lbs/sq.in.

If we wish wire size, we can then take the desired fibre stress (say 60,000 for most steel springs) and calculate:

60,000 = (5 x 1 x 2.55) / d^3

d^3 = 12.7 / 60,000 = .00021

d = .05944 = the nearest commercial size being 1/16 or .0625.
  
  


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