John Evans’ Sons offers open and enclosed spring reels. In addition to our standard line of reels, we can custom manufacture within standard sizes. If volume or application justify, we will manufacture a totally customized reel. Various load and deflection choices are available.
As with all of our products, in-house engineering assistance is always available.
Open Reels – Plastic or Metal
We manufacture “open style” construction spring reels, also known as arbor reels. The cable is exposed, wrapped around the circumference of the reel, and contained between two flanges in an open reel design. Load is generated by the internal spring as the cable is extended. Spring reels provide lift assistance to any assembly that must be raised, reducing the “felt” weight. Field adjustments to pre-load and maximum travel can allow the reel to precisely counterbalance loads from less than one pound to over 50 pounds.
Examples of applications include:
- Medical equipment designers can utilize spring reels to counterbalance a movable mechanism or monitor stand in the operating theater as well as hose, cable, tubing management around or within medical electronics cabinets.
- Enabling adjustments to height, pre-load and maximum travel for various tools and fixtures in ergonomically designed workstations.
- Reducing the energy required to lift a roll-up door on delivery trucks, or to lessen the effort to open and close the door/stairs on executive jets and other aerospace applications.
- Counterbalancing of an elevator door, reducing the force required to close and maintain the closed condition of doors on each floor.
Product Resources
Open reels are available in a variety of sizes:
- Diameters range from 1.64” to 6.0”
- Widths vary from 0.49” to 1.63”
- From 1.64″ through 5.09″ dia. available with plastic cases
- From 3.38″ through 6.00″ dia. available with metal cases
All models of both metal and plastic are available with either a square hole Delrin plastic arbor (with a .320” square hole for mounting with a 5/16” carriage bolt) for a “bolt-thru” or a threaded stud for a “bolt-on” installation. Stainless steel & galvanized steel cable with ring terminals for outer end attachment as well as arbor style configurations can be found in our Spring Reels Specifications Table & Open Spring Reel Notes (below).
Open Spring Reel Selection Chart
(please refer to “Specifications Table and Reel Notes” below charts)
Click to view larger in .pdf format
Open Spring Reels Chart & Notes
View Case Materials, cable & terminal configurations, arbor styles
Open Spring Reels Specifications Table
CLICK on underlined P/N to view load vs. deflection performance chart
| Part Number | Load (Lbs.) | Deflection (Feet) | Cable | X Diameter (Inches) | Y Width (Inches) | Arbor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR104B | 0.3 | 6.6 | CA-1 | 1.64 | 0.49 | AR-1 |
| PR105B | 0.5 | 5.0 | ||||
| PR108B | 1.1 | 3.0 | ||||
| PR110B | 2.0 | 2.3 | ||||
| PR210 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 1.95 | 0.55 | ||
| PR212 | 2.6 | 4.5 | ||||
| PR213 | 3.4 | 3.75 | ||||
| PR216 | 4.3 | 2.7 | ||||
| PR310B | 1.8 | 10.0 | CA-3 | 3.38 | 0.98 | AR-2 |
| PR315B | 3.6 | 6.5 | ||||
| MR315B | 3.6 | 6.5 | 0.88 | |||
| PR320B | 6.3 | 4.5 | 0.98 | |||
| MR320B | 6.3 | 4.5 | 0.88 | |||
| MR325B | 12.5 | 3.5 | 0.98 | |||
| PR420B | 4.5 | 18.0 | CA-4 | 5.09 | 1.10 | |
| PR425B | 8.0 | 13.5 | ||||
| MR425B | 8.0 | 13.5 | 5.00 | 0.88 | ||
| MR425E | 16.0 | 13.5 | 1.63 | |||
| MR428D | 15.0 | 12.0 | 1.38 | |||
| MR428E | 22.0 | 12.0 | 1.63 | |||
| MR433D | 22.5 | 10.0 | 1.38 | |||
| MR433E | 27.0 | 10.0 | 1.63 | |||
| MR525D | 10.0 | 27.0 | 6.00 | 1.38 | ||
| MR542D | 28.0 | 13.0 | AR-3 | |||
| MR550D | 45.0 | 11.5 |
Open Spring Reel Notes
View case materials, cable & terminal configurations, arbor styles
Enclosed Spring Reels – Plastic Construction
We offer three styles of spring-loaded cable retracting reels with plastic cases.
- Miniature Enclosed Reel series
- Retriever series
- Enclosed Reel series
An enclosed reel is simply an open reel within a closed envelope or package. With an enclosed reel, the single function available is linear pull from the cable, which in the retracted position, is enclosed in the housing. The enclosed reels are available in a range of loads and extensions. The enclosed reel can be installed by putting it in a cavity, by means of a mounting plate that can be supplied, or in some cases, by using the through hole.
Spring reel load, extension characteristics, and capacities vary with the spring used. With a given maximum extension, the load may be varied by changing the width. Reels are provided with attached cable, equal in length to the maximum available cable extension. Other cable lengths are available as required.
Spring reel applications typically require long deflection in proportion to the load. They include such uses as door closers, counter balances, cord retractors, retail display theft prevention, tool balancers, or holders.
Need Assistance? Consult our Technical Team.
Our Technical Team offer a depth of expertise to assist you with all parts of the process. We are ready to answer your questions in a timely manner and will help you define what you need. We produce custom springs for all purposes, and we are here to work with you on any of your customization needs.
