ABSTRACT
Lx FIGURE6AsectionofajointshowingtheapplicationofexternalloadLxattheloading plane(wherethenutandboltheadcontactthejointsurfaces).
springassembly).RememberthataftertheBellevillehasbeenflattened,anyadditionalload willonlystretchtheboltandcompressthejoint.Forthisreason,springsshouldbeselected withflatloadsthatareclosetothepreloadstobeused(forboltingapplications).Iftheflat loadismuchgreaterthanthepreload,thentheBellevillewillbeonlypartiallycompressed. Sinceonlyafractionofthespring'spotentialdeflectionisused,theengineerisnotmaximizing itsbenefits.Ifthepreloadisgreaterthantheflatload,thentheBellevillewillremaininits flatpositionuntiltheresidualpreloadfallsbelowtheflatload.
