I'll take a stab at it. I assume you are talking spring rates?
Design Types: Normal, Step Linear and Progressive Springs
1. Normal Springs (Linear rate Springs, Specific Rate Springs)
In a normal spring, space between the coils are equal. Normal (or linear rate) springs are designed to respond with a specific rate when compressed.
Consider we have a 10-coil spring, each coil spaced 2 centimeters apart. Put a load on the spring to compress it 2 centimeters. Because in Normal Springs coils compress at the same rate, this 2 centimeters will be divided into all 10 coils equal, resulting each coil spaced 1,8 cm apart. Put another additional load which is the same as the first one and the coils will become 1,6 cm apart.
2. Step Linear Springs (2 Step Linear Springs)
These are springs that have a 2 different spring rate.
In a two-step linear spring, about half the coils have shorter spacing. As the spring compresses, the coils move closer. At a certain point, the shorter spaced coils touch, effectively eliminating them from the spring. You then have a spring comprised of only the longer coils. This "second-step" spring will be much stiffer than the whole spring (the more coils, the easier it is to compress the spring). The result is that you have one set of handling characteristics before the shorter coils touch and then you have another, completely different level of response after they touch. (HyperPro website)
3. Progressive Springs (Rising Rate Springs, Progressive Rate Springs, Progressive Wound Springs)
In progressive springs each coil is spaced differently and they have a variable spring rate. When free, it is easy to compress the spring for first centimeters. As you apply more forces, coils on a progressive spring come closer. After a certain point, coils at the top 1/4 of the spring begin to touch each other and finally become inactive or dead, and that makes the spring stiffer. Apply more forces to a progressive spring then it becomes stiffer because as the number of active coils in a spring decreases, the spring rate increases. So, a progressive spring may both be sensitive to very small bumps on the road, while giving the stiffness you need during hard braking and turning.
Rufus