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. As this crane is self-propelled, it could move around particular work sites without the need for much set up. Because of their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are fairly costly and even difficult to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and allow the crane to function without utilizing outriggers, however, there are several models that do utilize outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the movement of the machine.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were particularly constructed for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry as well as the agricultural business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further featured the versatility of the machine. It was not long after before manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer in the United States, mounted its very first crane on crawler tracks. It described the new machinery 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 one of the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. During the year 1925, a company referred to as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the potential and the marketability of the tracked crane. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers to be able to produce it and go into business.