Early Crane Evolution
More than 4000 years ago, early Egyptians created the first recorded type of a crane. The original device was called a shaduf and was initially used to transport water. The crane was made out of a long pivoting beam that balanced on a vertical support. On one end a heavy weight was attached and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was connected.
Cranes which were made during the first century were powered by humans or by animals that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. The crane consisted of a long wooden beam that was referred to as a boom. The boom was connected to a rotating base. The wheel or the treadmill was a power-driven operation that had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope additionally had a hook which was connected to a pulley at the top of the boom and carried the weight.
Within Europe, the enormous cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were made using cranes. Cranes were also used to unload and load ships in major ports. Over time, major advancements in crane design evolved. For instance, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence greatly increasing the machine's range of motion. Following the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing which held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Cranes used animals and humans for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes quickly when steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, Internal combustion or IC engines as well as electric motors emerged. Cranes also became designed out of cast iron and steel as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They can obviously run longer as well with their new power sources and thus finish bigger tasks in less time.