Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is specific crane made with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. Because this crane is self-propelled, it can move around certain work sites without the need for much set up. Because of their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are are difficult to transport from one site to another and are rather pricey. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and enable the crane to function without the use of outriggers, however, there are several units which do utilize outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the movement of the equipment.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines that were specially constructed for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural business as well as the construction business. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further featured the versatility of the equipment. It was not long after when crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer 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 uses.
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 a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. In the year 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's potential and marketability. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers in order to manufacture it and go into business.