Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is particular crane made with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. Because this crane is self-propelled, it could move around particular work locations without the need for much set up. Because of their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are rather costly and even difficult to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks offer the machinery stability and enable the crane to work without utilizing outriggers, however, there are some models which do use outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines that were specially made for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry as well as the agricultural business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the equipment's versatility. 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 in the United States, mounted its very first crane on crawler tracks. It described the new machine as a "locomotive crane, independent of tracks and moveable under its own power." By the middle part of the 1920s, crawler tracks had become the chosen means of traction for heavy crane operations.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois was among the first attempts to replicate the rails for cranes. Manufactured in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. In 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's potential and marketability. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers in order to produce it and go into business.