Early Crane Evolution
Over 4000 years ago, early Egyptians made the first recorded version of a crane. The original device was called a shaduf and was first used to transport water. The crane was made out of a pivoting long beam that balanced on a vertical support. On one end a bucket was attached and on the other end of the beam, a heavy weight was attached.
In the first century, cranes were built to be powered by humans or animals that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. These cranes had a long wooden boom known as a beam. The boom was connected to a base which rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope that wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook which was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom and carried the weight.
In Europe, the huge cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were made utilizing cranes. Cranes were also designed to unload and load ships within major ports. Over time, significant crane design advancements evolved. For example, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence really increasing the range of motion for the equipment. Following the 16th century, cranes had included two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing which held the boom.
Cranes used humans and animals for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes rapidly once steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, IC or internal combustion engines and electric motors emerged. Moreover, cranes became designed out of steel and cast iron rather than wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They could obviously run longer also with their new power sources and hence carry out bigger jobs in less time.