Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular type of mobile crane which is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Since this unit is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without much set-up. Because of their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are are hard to transport from one location to another and are rather expensive. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the machine and allow the crane to work without the use of outriggers, although, there are some units that do utilize outriggers. Furthermore, the tracks provide the movement of the machine.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specifically built for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business as well as the agricultural industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further featured the machine'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
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company within the USA, 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 mid-1920s, crawler tracks had become the chosen means of traction for heavy crane operations.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was among the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. In the year 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 so as to manufacture it and go into business.