Flat Plate Spring

[singhjai]

Hi All,

I am working on designing a flat plate spring with a setup as shown in the attachment. My design intent is to have a indicator in the center which would move to a certain position on the application of 200lb of load. I would be using webbing to pull the spring steel piece on both sides. Is this design even possible? Can this be achieved using a flat spring steel plate?

 

[3DDave]

No.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I don't see a design.
I see an incoherent sketch.
WE CANNOT SEE WHAT YOU THINK.


Mike Halloran
Stratford, CT, USA

 

[singhjai]

@3DDave : Could you please explain me why do you think this is not a feasible design?Thank you.
@MikeHalloran : The design is just a concept to achieve what I explained above. The images in the document are just to give you an idea of what I am trying to achieve. Just to reiterate I want to use a flat piece of spring steel to make a load indicator such that even when the load is applied it remains flat and deflects and returns to the original position. If we assume the flat piece is on the X-Y plane, I do not want it to deflect or rotate in the Z plane. It should just be linear extension and contraction. So Is this design even workable?

 

[3DDave]

It wasn't workable the other times it was posted.
If you want to see why, cut the shape out of paper or plastic sheet and pull on it.

 

[drawoh]

singhjai,

Maybe I see what you are trying to do.

That centre piece will move with respect to the rest of the structure when you apply force. Probably, it will not move very much. It will not display some discrete behaviour at 200lb, that it would do at 199 and at 201lb. If your spring steel part is thin, it will buckle, possibly long before it exhibits the behaviour that you want.

If your part is flimsy enough to move significantly, it will be fragile. This is what makes spring design challenging.

--
JHG