Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is particular crane designed with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. As this crane is self-propelled, it can move around certain work locations without the need for a lot of set up. Because of their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are rather pricey and even difficult to transport from one place to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the machinery and allow the crane to work without utilizing outriggers, however, there are several units that do utilize outriggers. Moreover, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
Originally, the very first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specifically designed short rail lines. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry as well as the construction business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the versatility of the equipment. It was not long after before 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 USA, mounted its 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 middle part of the 1920s, crawler tracks had become the preferred means of traction for heavy crane operations.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Ray and Charles 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. During 1925, a company called 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 so as to manufacture it and go into business.