Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular kind of mobile crane which is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Since this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing jobs without a lot of set-up. Because of their enormous size and weight, crawler cranes are rather expensive and even difficult to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks provide the equipment stability and allow the crane to work without using outriggers, however, there are some units that do utilize outriggers. Furthermore, 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 specifically constructed for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business as well as the agricultural industry. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators 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 First Crawler Crane
Around the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer within the United States, 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 mid-1920s, crawler tracks had become the preferred means of traction for heavy crane uses.
The Speedcrane
Developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois; the Moore Speedcrane was one of the first to attempt to copy rail lines for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. In the year 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the potential and the marketability of the tracked crane. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers so as to produce it and go into business.