Bromborough Institute

Bromborough Institute

Bromborough on the Wirral

An email was received on 3rd July letting E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. know that Bromborough Village Institute, built in 1908, had an 'old' Bayliff table which had a E.A. Clare remodel plate indicating that the last time it had been worked on was in 1954. Nothing really unusual in that BUT the table was stored under the floor.

Paul Denbigh- Jones a member of the Bromborough Institute Management Committee of the Institute had wanted to see what was under the floor as it was planned to put a new floor down in the hall. Members of the Institute had told him of the Billiard table but he wanted to see it for himself and preserve the table if possible.

So with the help of his colleague he had lifted the boards over the table, moved the joists, found the brace that fitted the square nut under a floor panel and started to turn the brace and to his surprise the table started to appear from its resting place. A week later Peter Clare was delighted to accept an invitation to see the table being raised. Paul had taken quite a few pictures from the first time and on this occasion Paul and Peter went below the table to view the way the lifting system worked.

The [pictures below record how the system worked. It seems that the idea was to enable all the floor space of the hall to be usable for certain events but al;so to allow Billiards and snooker to be played on other occasions.

Note - all photographs, unless otherwise stated,are the copyright of

Paul Denbigh-Jones and can not be used without prior consent.

©2018 Paul Denbigh-Jones

Bromborough Village Institute Hall

The hall - The floor area under which the table is stored can be seen

by the straight line joints.

 

Bromborough Village Institute Hall removing

When they first attempted to expose the table they had to remove

some screws etc. that had been used to fix the removable sections

 Bromborough Village Institute Hall removing floor

First section of floor removed

 Bromborough Village Institute Hall removing floor 2

Second section of floor removed and the joist supporting the floor

an clearly be seen

Bromborough Village Institute Hall removing floor3

Third section of floor removed

 Bromborough Village Institute Hall removing floor 4

Fourth Floor panel removed

 Bromborough Village Institute Hall removing final section

Final floor panel removed

 Bromborough Village Institute Under floor billiard Table

The first two long joist removed

Bromborough Village Institute Under floor billiard Table

The three long joist removed leaving the final three short joists

raising the billiard table

Once all the joist are removed then the operation to raise the table

using the lifting system can begin. Here you can see Paul working

the brace to turn the mechanism

 Bayliff Table Bromborough

The table slowly appears above the floor

 Bayliff Table Bromborough Village

Little bit more to go

Bayliff Table Bromborough E.A. Clare & Son

Table fully raised at playing height

IMG_2776

Table in play

 

Bayliff Billiards Cushion Plate  E.A. Clare & Son Ltd Billiard Cushion Plate 
       The two cushion plates. The one on the left is the original table makers/suppliers the one on the left indicated that the cushion rubber was replaced in February 1954 with Northern rubber by E.A. Clare & Son Billiard fitter Richie Littler

 The next series of pictures were taken by Paul whilst scrambling under the table, after it had been raised, so that the lifting mechanism could be viewed.

 Under the raised table floor

 The chains, a set of which are at either end of the 'pit' are anchored to the base of the pit and raise and lower the table when the mechanical system is operated.

In the pit under Billiard Table

The mechanism is substantial made as can be seen by the cogs in this picture

Cogs and axles of the mechamism

The large cog the drives the whole mechanism can just be seen in this picture

 Guide rails

This is one of four guide rails and wheels that ensure the table moves straight up and down

 locking wheel

This is the locking wheel. When the table is at the correct playing height by turning this wheel , from a panel in the floor under the table, bolts situated at both ends of the shaft are sent into keepers so the table is help firmly in place. There are two such wheels , one at either end of the table.

 IMG_2787

The picture shows a close up of one of the locking bolts

IMG_2788 

The panel removed from the floor under the table showing the top of the wheel which operates the shaft that moves the locking bolts into and out of the keepers. There is a similar panel at the other end of the table.

IMG_2789

 L- R

Paul Denbigh-Jones; Steve Hughes: Peter Clare; Linda Hughes

Paul, Steve and Linda are all associated with the Bromborough Institute

Peter Clare is M.D. Of E.A. Clare & Son Ltd

 

©Peter Clare 2018

Pictures, unless otherwise stated, © 20187 Paul Denbigh-Jones

This article and pictures can not be reproduced without the permission