Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular type of mobile crane that is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom that moves upon crawler tracks. As this unit is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without a lot of set-up. Due to their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are rather costly and even difficult to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and enable the crane to work without the use of outriggers, although, there are several models that do utilize outriggers. Also, the tracks provide the movement of the equipment.
Early Mobile Cranes
Originally, the very first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specially built short rail lines. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business as well as the agricultural industry. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further featured the versatility of the machinery. It was not long after before manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
Around the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company within the United States, mounted its very first crane on crawler tracks. 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 uses.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois was among the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. During the year 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's marketability and potential. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers to be able to produce it and go into business.