Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is specific crane designed with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. As this crane is self-propelled, it could move around certain work locations without the need for a lot of set up. Due to their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are fairly pricey and even hard to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks provide the equipment stability and enable the crane to work without the use of outriggers, although, there are some units that do use outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specifically built for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business as well as the agricultural business. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the versatility of the machinery. It was not long after when crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer in the USA, mounted its 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 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 Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was amongst 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. During the year 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 manufacture it and go into business.