Early Crane Evolution
Over 4000 years ago, early Egyptians created the first recorded kind of a crane. The original device was called a shaduf and was first used to transport water. The crane was made out of a long pivoting beam that balanced on a vertical support. On one end a heavy weight was connected and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was attached.
Cranes that were built during the first century were powered by humans or by animals that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. The crane consisted of a wooden long beam which was referred to as a boom. The boom was attached to a rotating base. The wheel or the treadmill was a power-driven operation that had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope additionally had a hook that lifted the weight and was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom.
In Europe, the huge cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were made using cranes. Cranes were also utilized to load and unload ships within major ports. Over time, major advancements in crane design evolved. For example, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, thus greatly increasing the equipment's range of motion. After the 16th century, cranes had incorporated two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing which held the boom.
Even until the mid-19th century, cranes continued to rely on humans and animals for power. Once steam engines were developed, this all quickly changed. At the turn of the century, Internal combustion or IC engines as well as electric motors emerged. Furthermore, cranes became designed out of cast iron and steel as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They can obviously run longer too with their new power sources and hence finish larger jobs in less time.