Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is particular crane designed with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. Because this crane is self-propelled, it could move around particular work sites without the need for much set up. Because of their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are are hard to transport from one site to another and are rather expensive. The crawler's tracks provide the equipment stability and enable the crane to work without utilizing outriggers, however, there are some models that do utilize outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specially 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 and the agricultural industry. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further featured the versatility of the machine. It was not long after before crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company within the USA, 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 chosen 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 replicate the rails for cranes. Manufactured in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton crane. In 1925, a company referred to as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's potential and marketability. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers to be able to manufacture it and go into business.