Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular kind of mobile crane that is available with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Because this unit is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and completing tasks without much set-up. Due to their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are fairly pricey and even hard to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks provide the equipment stability and enable the crane to function without using outriggers, although, there are several units that do use outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines that were specifically constructed for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry and the construction business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the versatility of the machine. It was not long after before crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer in the United States, was the very first to mount its crane on crawler tracks in the 1920s. It described the new equipment 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
Developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois; the Moore Speedcrane was amongst the first to attempt to copy rail lines for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton crane. During 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 so as to manufacture it and go into business.