A simple, tough way to pull something tight and keep it that way. Originally built for our banner systems, the same ratchet pulley works just as well on tents, awnings, or any product where fabric needs to be tensioned and held under load. It’s available as a standalone component — if you make banners, tents, or awnings and want proven tensioning hardware without developing your own, we supply this on its own.
How it works:
At the core is a single roller with curved teeth molded into its surface, much like the cleats on a sailing yacht. Pull the rope in the tightening direction and the teeth bite down, gripping and locking the rope in place. Pull the rope the other way and it slides freely — so tension only ever builds, it never slips back on its own.
A spring-loaded ratchet on the side of the roller holds the roller locked once tightened; pressing the grey button in the centre releases it. A slot at the top takes a 12mm webbing strap, stitched onto whatever needs tensioning. The rope itself finishes in a loop at one end and a molded plastic end at the other.
How to use it:
- Hold the grey button down and pull the looped end of the rope to fully release it.
- Hook the loop over whatever you’re pulling against.
- Pull the free end of the rope — the pulley ratchets tight with a click at each step , locking in place after every click.
- Keep pulling until the tension is right.
- To loosen or release, just press the grey button.
Built to last:
Each pulley holds around 18kg of rope tension. Overload it past that and it releases on its own instead of breaking — a built-in friction clutch that protects the hardware, the fabric, and whatever it’s anchored to.
The ratchet pulley is designed for a 4 mm braided nylon rope.
Available variants:
The plastic parts stay the same but we can supply any rope length required.
Kits with the following rope lengths are kept in stock:
| Code | Cord length | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| ACX7400 | 490mm | Small / Medium banners |
| ACX7500 | 860mm | Large / XL banners |
| AC37510 | 1060mm | Wing 700mm banners |
| AC37520 | 1320mm | Larger banners |
