Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific kind of mobile crane which is available with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. As this model is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without much set-up. Due to their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are rather costly and even hard to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks offer the machinery stability and allow the crane to function without using outriggers, however, there are some units that do use outriggers. Also, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
Originally, the very first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specifically built short rail lines. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business and the agricultural business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the equipment's versatility. It was not long after before manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
Northwest Engineering, a crane company within the USA, was the first to mount its crane on crawler tracks during the 1920s. It described the new machine as a "locomotive crane, independent of tracks and moveable under its own power." By the mid-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 among the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton 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 manufacture it and go into business.