The coils of a clock spring are formed by winding spring wire around a cylinder into helically shaped metal springs. There are two coil types for clock springs: tight coils and open coils. Clock springs with tight coils are, in normal applications, completely without friction. Tight coil clock springs are often used as locking mechanisms. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
M & S Spring Co., Inc.
Fraser, MI | 800-333-0721At M & S Spring, our product line includes compression springs, extension springs, garter springs, and torsion springs. We devote special attention to every order, regardless of the ordering volume. We offer quick delivery, and inquiries are answered within the same day. Contact us to learn more!
Royal Coil, Inc.
Woodstock, IL | 888-795-2645As a manufacturer of mechanical springs, Royal Coil can punch press, die tool & four-slide to produce an array of springs such as compression springs with diameters from .008 - .250, extension springs from .008 - .209 diameters, & torsion and double torsion springs ranging from .008 - .209 diameters. ISO 9001:2000 certified, we manufacture quality custom industrial springs such as coil springs.
Scandic
San Leandro, CA | 510-352-3700Since 1969, the largest spring and stamping company in Northern California, Scandic has been a leader in coil springs, fourslide stampings, precision progressive stampings, and CNC wire forming. We produce battery contacts, EMI shielding, ESD contacts, spring clips, latches and belleville washers. We have even offered our services to help renovate the locks on the cells at Alcatraz prison.
Sterling Spring Corp.
Chicago, IL | 800-969-7884Sterling Spring has offered high-quality springs since 1953. Our product line includes compression springs, coil springs, torsion springs, extension springs and industrial springs. We offer just-in-time delivery and cost-effective prices, regardless of your ordering volume.
WCS Industries
Muskego, WI | 262-682-4711It is our belief that all customers deserve the very best- whether large or small. We take the time to work with each individual customer to create the perfect springs solution for their needs. We will not turn away a customer from any industry, and we will use our expert engineering experience to help create the perfect spring product for you. Find out more by contacting us online today!
Clock Springs - All-Rite Spring CompanyClock springs with open coils are the most common type and must be mounted in housings. Open coil clock springs offer a low increase of force and are often used in applications such as retractable reels, retracting seat belts, mechanical motors, tape measures, timing devices, vehicle suspensions, galvanometers and electrical switches.
Typical industries that utilize clock springs include military, medical, automotive, electronics, agricultural, commercial, industrial and utilities. Clock springs are most commonly made from a certain type of spring steel referred to as either blue steel or clock spring steel. Blue steel is tempered and polished spring steel, which has a very high carbon content and is generally dark blue in color.
Clock Springs - All-Rite Spring CompanyClock springs consist of a flat coil strip and are wound, either tightly or openly, similar to a snail shell in that each coil is nested within a larger coil. Flat coil strips provide a stronger spring than round wire, although round wire is more commonly used in springs. Often, clock springs are wound and mounted on an arbor, which is a piece of round stock that has one end formed to accept the inside end of the clock spring, while the outside end is attached to a stationary post.
The power spring is also housed within a cylindrical casing, or barrel. The clock spring is wound by turning the arbor, but it drives the object’s movement by the barrel; this arrangement allows the clock spring to continue powering the object while it is being wound. Winding the object turns the arbor, which tightens the clock spring, wrapping it closer around the arbor.
Clock springs are most commonly formed through the cold rolling process. A type of roll forming, cold rolling utilizes roll forming machines, which consist of sequences of calenders, or roller die pairs, positioned both above and below the metal coil that is being formed. As the metal moves through the machine, the rollers bend the material along the linear axis, pressing the metal into a more uniform grain flow while shaping the metal into flat coil strips.
Cold rolled clock springs are created at temperatures below the recrystallization point of the metal. The cold rolling process increases the tensile strength of the metal. The clock springs are then annealed, or made softer through heating, so that they can be wound or coiled. Next, the clock spring is heat treated in order to reduce stresses and fractures and thus further strengthen the spring.