Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is particular crane made 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 particular work sites without the need for much set up. Because of their enormous size and weight, crawler cranes are are difficult to transport from one place to another and are rather pricey. The crawler's tracks offer the machine stability and allow the crane to function without the use of outriggers, however, there are some units which do use outriggers. Additionally, 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 built for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry as well as the construction 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 Very First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company in the USA, mounted its 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 uses.
The Speedcrane
Developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois; the Moore Speedcrane was amongst the first to attempt to replicate rail lines for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. In 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 in order to produce it and go into business.