Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific kind of mobile crane which is offered with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Since this unit is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing jobs without a lot of set-up. Due to their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are are difficult to transport from one place to another and are rather expensive. The crawler's tracks offer the machine stability and allow the crane to function without using outriggers, however, there are some models which do utilize outriggers. Also, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
Originally, the first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specifically made short rail lines. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry and the agricultural industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the machine's versatility. 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 company within the USA, 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 middle part of the 1920s, crawler tracks had become the chosen 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 replicate the rails for cranes. Made within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, wheel-mounted, steam-powered crane. In the year 1925, a company called 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.