The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-05-30
MODERN RACE TRACK SULKY
is THE RESULT OF EVOLUTION

inches high. and the vibration OF the
vehicle was terrifs with the driver up
on a high seat for sar behind the horse.
1t was In Flora Temples day that
Dan Hetneld or Charles ). Nonrey. or
both Of them. conceived the plan or
getting the axle out OF the way or the
horses hooks b. bending II Ipward
In the middle. and by the time Dexter
came out all track sulkies were built
in that way. Then came Toomey 5
truss axle, making possible a much
higher arch in the axle and admitting
OF a hitch 80 close that trotters
hooks were playing right under the
drivers seat. Besides anording
closer hitch the truss axle reduced the
weight. and Nigh wheeled sulkies
no heavier than az pounds were built
in the last few years before the advent
When Sterling Elliott, in 1892. put a
pair OF wooden spoked bicycle wheels
only IS inches high on Il sulky frame
by means OF crude Iron attachment
he increased the weight OF the track
vehicle instead OF reducing II, but he
enabled Nancy Hanks 20 lower the
worlds record more than four seconds
IN one season after having tried and
always failed when hooked 10 u high
wheel sulky.
There WAS very soon an Improvement
in the form OF attaching the pneumatic
within year or two an entirely new
form OF sulky appeared with the axle
elongated TO carry 2s-inch wheels with
out any special attachment such as
Elliott used In these sulkies wire was
substituted for wood In the spokes and
weight was otherwise cut down from
an average or about 80 pounds for the
original bike to 40 or S5 pounds. This
weight was afterward reduced TO rs
pounds. Lou Dillon pulled one no
heavier when she made her record.
The aim OF the sulky builders at this
period seemed to be TO raise the arch
OF the axle about as high as possible In
order TO AFFORD ample room for any
amount OF hook action underneath.
many OF the sulkies OF the late nine
ties. or even later. the distance from
the ground 70 the seat was fully 80
iches.
The next form OF sulky had a some
what lower seat. close down on the
axle, but Il was not until n tardy APP
probation OF the principle involved In
the wind shield had been drummed into
the trainers and the sulky builders that
they began 10 consider the Importance
OF avoiding all possible resistance Of
the atmosphere and act accordingly
Capt. Martin Payne was perhaps the
@fst TO apply this principle 10 the con-
struction OF sulkies. AS early as 1900
he patented a long shaft sulky, which
was really a pneumatic training cart
with the sea so far behind the horse
that all the trotter's action came in
front OF the axle. This enabled him to
drop the sea 20 within about 80 inches
OF tho ground, thus putting the driver
down behind his horse where he Of
fered practically no resistance 10 the
atmosphere as the trotter sped along.
whether Capt. Payne had this prin-
ciple and this purpose in mind when
ne designed his long shaft care is not
known, but II 10 certain that after ex-
perieuce had shown IL TO be as fast as
the high arch sulky, despite the dis
lance OF the axle from the horse, other
builders began 10 lengthen the shafts
OF their track sulkies sufficiently To
allow the horse's action 10 come IN
front OF the axle and drivers began 20
tilt them ND 20 an extreme angle.
which threw the seat closer 90 the
ground
At present practically all track sui
kies are built on this principle. shafts
have been heightened from 10 10