Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is specific crane made with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. Since this crane is self-propelled, it could move around particular work locations without the need for a lot of set up. Due to their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are rather costly and even difficult to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and allow the crane to function without utilizing outriggers, although, there are several models that do utilize outriggers. Additionally, the tracks provide the movement of the machinery.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines that were specifically constructed for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry as well as the construction industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the versatility of the machine. It was not long after before crane companies decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
Around the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer within the USA, mounted its very first crane on crawler tracks. It described the new machinery as a "locomotive crane, independent of tracks and moveable under its own power." By the mid-1920s, crawler tracks had become the preferred means of traction for heavy crane operations.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois was one of the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, wheel-mounted, steam-powered crane. During the year 1925, a company known as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's marketability and potential. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers so as to manufacture it and go into business.