Early Crane Evolution
More than 4000 years ago, early Egyptians made the first recorded kind of a crane. The original device was referred to as 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 heavy weight was attached and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was attached.
Cranes that were built in the first century were powered by animals or by humans that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. The crane consisted of a long wooden beam that was referred to as a boom. The boom was attached to a rotating base. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope additionally had a hook that was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom and lifted the weight.
Cranes were used extensively in the Middle Ages to make the huge cathedrals in Europe. These devices were also designed to unload and load ships in main ports. Over time, significant crane design developments evolved. Like for instance, a horizontal boom was added to and was referred to as the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence greatly increasing the range of motion for the machinery. Following the 16th century, cranes had included two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing that held the boom.
Even until the mid-19th century, cranes continued to depend on humans and animals for power. When steam engines were developed, this all rapidly changed. At the turn of the century, electric motors as well as internal combustion or IC engines emerged. What's more, cranes became designed out of cast iron and steel as opposed to wood. The new designs proved longer lasting and more efficient. They could obviously run longer too with their new power sources and hence complete larger tasks in less time.