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. Since this crane is self-propelled, it can move around certain work locations without the need for much set up. Because of their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are rather pricey and even hard to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks offer the equipment stability and allow the crane to function without using outriggers, although, there are some units that do use outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
Initially, the first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specially made short rail lines. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry and the agricultural industry. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the machine's versatility. It was not long after when crane companies decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
Around the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer in the United States, 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 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 Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was amongst the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton crane. During 1925, a company referred to as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's marketability and potential. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers to be able to manufacture it and go into business.