Huron Valley Swim Club (HVSC) was NOT to be a country club and no food was to be sold on the premises (excluding swim meets). They shared ideas and visions, which resulted in a couple of ironclad principles, that continue to be upheld 50 years later. On my next bar table refelt job I’ll take some pictures of the inside of a coin-op pool table and then post them here.The Founders met weekly. The slightly heavier cue ball rolls through the separation interchange, activates a rocker dropping the cue ball into the hairpin turn leading to the head of the pool table. They have a shunt for over-sized cue balls, a magnet for magnetic cue balls and a patented designed weighted cue ball return. These tables actually have three methods of distinguishing cue balls from numbered balls. Weighted cue balls are most commonly used in older Dynamo pool tables.
#Valley pool table history skin#
Magnetic cue balls either have a small metal cage embedded inside the ball or more recently are coated with a metal skin (Aramith type). Instead of a shunt forcing the ball to the cue ball return, a strong magnet is attached to the cue ball separation area and pulls the cue ball towards the track leading to the head of the pool table.
This cue ball is 2.25 inches, the same as the numbered balls. Newer coin-operated pool tables may use a magnetic cue ball. The over-sized (2.375 inch) cue ball cannot pass under the shunt, makes a hairpin turn and drops to a track leading to the head of the pool table. The shunt is set to a height of just over 2.25 inches allowing the numbered balls to pass under. In the case of an over-sized cue ball, there is an attached ball shunt. Upon scratching all cue balls run along the same track as the numbered balls until they get to the cue ball separator. Depending on the age and brand of the pool table cue balls are either magnetic, over-sized or weighted differently. You need to get the cue ball back and continue your game without having to stick more quarters in, right? There are three different ways a pool table knows to send your cue ball to the head of the table instead of the ball trap.
I know, you’re wondering about that pesky cue ball, right? How does the pool table know the difference between a numbered ball and the cue ball? Losing your cue ball in a pocket during your game of pool, doesn’t usually mean your game is over. Now you are ready to rack ’em up. As you pocket numbered balls throughout your game, they drop in the pockets, go down the gully boots toward the maze of tracks that will lead them to the ball trap. Your quarters drop into a bin while the arm rolls back and allows the ball trap to dump the balls out and down the chute and roll down to the ball return box at the foot of the table below the triangle. But, then what? The coin mechanism has a plate at the end that pushes a hinge arm on the inside of the pool table. Your quarters go in the slots and you push in. Whether it’s a Valley, Dynamo, Global, Murrey, American Shuffleboard, Fischer or Irving Kaye coin-op pool table, I’ll clue you in on how it all works.įirst and foremost, you have to feed the beast (A.K.A. You may have pondered this question while shooting a game of eight ball at your neighborhood bar.