Abstract: A seat belt retractor includes first and second spindles which are rotatably mounted on a housing in spaced apart parallel relation. The belt has one end looped around the spindles and sewn to itself to form a loop. A wind-up spring acts between one of the spindles and the housing to rotate the one spindle so that the loop of belt orbits the first and second spindles and winds the belt in successive layers in a hank on top the loop. The second spindle is preferably mounted in a slot of the housing to permit movement of the second spindle away from the first spindle. A pair of leaf springs are mounted on the housing and respectively bear against the second spindle to maintain a tension on the loop so that the rotation of the first spindle effects nonslipping orbit of the loop around the spindles. Furthermore, the spindles are preferably coated with a friction material, such as rubber. Thus, the retractor stores the belt in a hank which provides a more elongated but thinner retractor package.