Welcome to Bennington Manufacturing!
The R7 and R8 Smart Casters
Choose from the Original R7 Smart Caster with a 700 pound weight capacity per set and a 2" wheel diameter or the New R8 Smart Caster with an 800 pound weight capacity per set and a larger 2 1/2" wheel diameter.
Automatic Wheel Retraction
Once you mount our casters it's as simple and easy as raising the side of your part 1" high and then lowering it. The wheels will automatically lower and lock, and your item is ready to roll away. To retract the wheel just repeat the process. Raise the side 1" and lower it. The wheels are now automatically retracted, and your item is stationary again. It really is just that easy!
Hide the Wheels!
Don't worry, our retractable casters still work perfectly, even when hidden.
Foot pedal casters or casters with brakes need to be located in an area you can reach with your foot. Usually on the outside of a leg. This creates an unattractive look as well as a serious tripping hazard.
Since we do not use a foot pedal to lock or unlock our casters, mount our retractables inside, hidden, even under a shelf if you like. Our casters will keep your item looking like it was originally intended to look, all while giving you retractable mobility.
What materials do we use to make our casters?
Let's talk about steel.
Our company is a steel fabricator, and we know the importance of good materials in a product. Here's the breakdown of our parts, just match the numbers below to the numbers on our retractable for reference.
- Our mounting bracket. We start with 1/8" thick steel plate, CNC cut to size, punch the holes and form the channel then we finish with a high quality matte black smooth powder coated finish.
- This is a 1 1/8" diameter steel tube that encases our upper mechanism. This is a very high-quality DOM (drawn over mandrel) tube that has tremendous weld strength and a very smooth finish. It's cut to length, deburred, welded to the mounting bracket and then powder coated matte black.
- This 3/4" diameter steel tube encases our lower mechanism. The steel tube is also a high-quality DOM tube that's cut, deburred and powder coated deep red.
- Our 2" diameter caster has an upper and lower double ball bearing raceway for smooth operation. 360-degree swivel with a smooth urethane wheel and a 125-pound load capacity per caster.
About Bennington Manufacturing
Who we are
We are a trusted fabricator of steel components to most of the major hotel brands as well as Disneyworld and Universal Studios. After 40 years of manufacturing, we figured out that by keeping your fabrication in-house will always works best for the customer, and for your business. When you purchase our retractable casters, you'll appreciate that it was made by great Americans in Hermitage, Pennsylvania (right between Cleveland and Pittsburgh). From engineering, cutting, punching, forming, welding, powder coating, assembly, inspection and shipping, it's all done right here.
How was this invented?
"Let me tell you a quick back story of how this all started. Years ago, I had a corporate meeting with a large nursing home chain that was a significant client of ours, they operated around 300 locations and asked me to look at a problem they were having with their dining room tables they were purchasing from another supplier. The tables had a 3 wheeled caster mounted under the center of a table base with a foot lever you needed to push down on while you lift up the side of the table. The problem with this was, as the tables would be moved, they could easily tip over just by hitting a crack in the floor.
After scratching my head a few times, I told them I'd put some thought into this and try to come up with a solution.
As I was driving home, I kept thinking - wouldn't it be great if a caster could lower and lock the wheels just by raising the side of the tables.
The next day in the office, I showed my 2 engineers the problem and what I had in mind. First response was "I wouldn't have the first clue", second and third responses were even worse, pretty much just a "pipedream". Not caring much for any of these answers I kept working on it for about a year and a half.
To cut a long story short, I eventually discovered the method to make it lock and unlock and patented the idea. When I first invented this I had around 4 or 5 parts to make it operate, now it's down to 3... I might be a little biased but I'm really happy with what a great product this turned out to be and really excited to share this with people that need to move things easier..."
Bob Bennington owner/inventor
The first design in 2016 was a retractable floor/carpet "slider" instead of a caster.