City Cranes
The term "City Crane" refers to a small 2-axle mobile crane which is made to be used particularly in tight areas where standard cranes can not venture. These city cranes are popular alternatives to be utilized in buildings or through gated areas.
In the 1990s, city cranes were originally developed in response to the growing urban density within Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it necessary for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Essentially, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes which are made to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a slanted retractable boom, a single cab and a short chassis. The slanted retractable boom design takes up less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane is capable of turning in compact spots which will be otherwise unaccessible by other crane models.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is much lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom could be added so that the crane could reach over and up an obstacle. Traditional truck cranes require separate power to be able to move up and down and do not lower and raise their cargo utilizing any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful device although lots of adjustments had to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was moving towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.