Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific kind of mobile crane which is available with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Since this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and completing tasks without a lot of set-up. Because of their enormous size and weight, crawler cranes are fairly expensive and even hard to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and enable the crane to work without the use of outriggers, although, there are several units which do use outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specially made for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry as well as the agricultural industry. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the versatility of the machine. It was not long after when crane companies decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
Northwest Engineering, a crane company in the United States, was the very first to mount its crane on crawler tracks during 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 uses.
The Speedcrane
Developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois; the Moore Speedcrane was amongst the first to attempt to replicate rail lines for cranes. Manufactured in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. During 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's potential and marketability. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers so as to produce it and go into business.