Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular type of mobile crane which is available with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Since this unit is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and accomplishing jobs without much set-up. Because of their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are are hard to transport from one location to another and are rather pricey. The crawler's tracks offer the machinery stability and enable the crane to work without utilizing outriggers, however, there are some models that do use outriggers. Furthermore, the tracks provide the movement of the machinery.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were particularly constructed for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural business as well as the construction business. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further featured the equipment's versatility. It was not long after when manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
Around the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company within 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 uses.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois was amongst the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton 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 in order to produce it and go into business.