Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular type of mobile crane which is available with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Because this unit is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and accomplishing jobs without a lot of set-up. Because of their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are fairly expensive and even difficult to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and enable the crane to function without using outriggers, although, there are some models that do use outriggers. Furthermore, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
Initially, the first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specially designed short rail lines. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural business and the construction industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further featured the versatility of the machinery. It was not long after when manufacturers of cranes 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 equipment 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 uses.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois was among the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. During 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 produce it and go into business.