Early Crane Evolution
The very first recorded concept or type of a crane was utilized by the early Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. This apparatus was referred to as a shaduf and was used to transport water. The crane was made out of a pivoting long beam which balanced on a vertical support. On one end a bucket was attached and on the other end of the beam, a heavy weight was connected.
Cranes that were built in the first century were powered by animals or by humans that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. The crane consisted of a long wooden beam which was referred to as a boom. The boom was attached to a base that rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook which carried the weight and was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom.
In Europe, the enormous cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were build utilizing cranes. Cranes were also utilized to unload and load ships within key ports. Eventually, significant developments in crane design evolved. Like for example, a horizontal boom was added to and was referred to as the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, therefore greatly increasing the range of motion for the machinery. After the 16th century, cranes had included two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing that held the boom.
Cranes utilized animals and humans for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes quickly once steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, Internal combustion or IC engines and electric motors emerged. Cranes also became designed out of steel and cast iron rather than wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They can obviously run longer too with their new power sources and therefore carry out bigger tasks in less time.