Large deflections of an elastic rod in contact with a flat wall

This paper presents an analytical solution of two types of contact between an elastic rod and a flat frictionless rigid wall. The first problem deals with large deflections of a rod with one end clamped and the other end pushing towards the clamped end by the wall. The second problem deals with the deflections of a rod that is pushed between fixed wedges. The solutions of both problems are given in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions. The solutions are illustrated using several examples, including deformed rod shapes and load-deflection paths.