US Patent 9080849 Tape measure

A tape measure includes a housing assembly having a first side wall, a second side wall, and a peripheral wall extending from the first side wall to the second side wall. A cavity is defined within the housing assembly, and the first side wall defines at least one aperture open to the cavity during use of the tape measure. The peripheral wall defines a tape port. A spool is rotatably supported in the cavity about an axis and includes at least a portion of a measuring tape. A hook member is fixedly coupled to an end portion of the measuring tape. The spool includes a retraction mechanism with an elongated coiled spring.