washer, machine component that is used in conjunction with a screw fastener such as a bolt and nut and that usually serves either to keep the screw from loosening or to distribute the load from the nut or bolt head over a larger area. For load distribution, thin flat rings of soft steel are usual.
To prevent loosening, several other types of washers are used. All act as springs to compensate for any increase in the distance between the head of a bolt and the nut, or between the head of a screw and the object being clamped. In addition to the spring action, some of these washers have teeth that bite into the workpiece and the screwhead and provide a locking action. They are called tooth or shakeproof lock washers and have teeth that are bent and twisted out of the plane of the washer face.
The conical washer has spring action, but the only locking action is provided by friction. The helical spring washer is one of the most commonly used lock washers.