5 Everyday Uses of Springs

by Kevin Smith Author

Famous for their spiral shape, springs are typically made of soft, highly flexible metal. They're designed to store mechanical energy when stretched or compressed and release upon recoil. Read on to learn about some of their most common uses.

Vehicles

Springs play a vital role in the suspension system of cars. Without them, vehicles will suffer a great deal of damage when driving on a bumpy road.

These springs are commonly referred to as "dampers." They're extremely durable since they're made of thick steel bars molded into a flexible coil. Their job is to compress, recoil, and absorb shock forces when the vehicle moves along a rough surface.

The dampers found in cars are small. But, trucks, farm machinery, trailers, and buses, are equipped with larger and stronger springs. These vehicles carry a lot of weight, so they require heavy-duty shock absorbers.

Since they're made of steel, vehicle dampers tend to rust over time. When that happens, owners should bring their car immediately to an auto repair shop to get those parts replaced.

Mousetraps

Introduced to US households in the late 1890s, the spring-loaded mousetrap is regarded as an old invention that didn't need any improvements. After more than a century since it was patented, its appearance and function have remained unchanged. To this day, it's still used in many homes to catch rodents.

Mousetraps are equipped with a small torsion spring. It's often pulled back to let it store mechanical energy. When the lever from the other side of the trap is moved, the metal coil will rapidly snap, killing unsuspecting rodents instantly.

Dryers

The drum inside the dryer spins very quickly to get rid of the moisture in clothes. This fast motion exerts an intense centrifugal force, which can topple the whole machine down or keep it from staying in place. To prevent that from happening, springs are attached to the barrels.

The springs in dryers are made of copper or aluminum. They can't be made of iron since this metal will easily get damaged by the steam and moisture coming from the machine.

Garage Doors

Extension and torsion springs work together to counteract the force of gravity. In other words, they make heavy mechanical garage doors much lighter for a single person to lift.

These springs are around 25 inches in length. They're often made of stainless steel to prevent them from getting rusty over time.

But, they can still get damaged due to heavy use and lack of maintenance. Homeowners can call an expert in installing garage door springs in Forsyth, IL, to repair the broken parts.