City Cranes
The term "City Crane" means a small 2-axle mobile crane which is made to be utilized specially in tight areas where standard cranes could not venture. These city cranes are popular alternatives to be used in buildings or through gated places.
City cranes were initially developed during the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density within Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it necessary for a crane to have the ability to maneuver through the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
Basically, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are built to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a single cab, a short chassis and a slanted retractable boom. The slanted retractable boom design takes up less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane can turn in compact spots that will be otherwise unobtainable by other kinds of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is much lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The many sections on a lattice boom are able to be added so that the crane can reach up and over an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes need separate power to be able to move up and down and do not lower and raise their cargo utilizing any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine although many adjustments had to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was moving towards IC engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.