City Cranes
The term "City Crane" means a small 2-axle mobile crane which is designed to be used specifically in tight areas where regular cranes can not venture. These city cranes are great alternatives for use through gated areas or in buildings.
City cranes were originally developed during the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density in Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to steer through the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Essentially, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes which are built to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a slanted retractable boom, a single cab and a short chassis. The slanted retractable boom design takes up much less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the independent steering and the short chassis, the city crane is capable of turning in tight spots which will be otherwise unaccessible by other kinds of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Conventional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is a lot lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom can be added so that the crane can reach up and over an obstacle. Traditional truck cranes need separate power in order to move down and up and do not raise and lower their cargo using any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc made the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine although a lot of adjustments had to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He understood the industry was moving towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.