Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific kind of mobile crane which is offered with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom which moves upon crawler tracks. As 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 are hard to transport from one location to another and are fairly expensive. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and allow the crane to work without utilizing outriggers, although, there are some units which do utilize outriggers. Additionally, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very 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 evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business and the agricultural industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the equipment's versatility. It was not long after when manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company in the USA, mounted its 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 mid-1920s, crawler tracks had become the preferred means of traction for heavy crane operations.
The Speedcrane
Developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois; the Moore Speedcrane was amongst the first to attempt to copy rail lines for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton crane. In the year 1925, a company known as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the marketability and the potential of the tracked crane. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers in order to produce it and go into business.