Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular kind of mobile crane which is available with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. As this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and completing jobs without a lot of set-up. Due to their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are fairly pricey and even hard to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and enable the crane to function without using outriggers, however, there are some units that do utilize outriggers. Moreover, the tracks provide the movement of the machine.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines that were specifically 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 featured the machine's versatility. It was not long after when crane companies decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer within the USA, mounted its very first crane on crawler tracks. It described the new machinery 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 one of the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, wheel-mounted, steam-powered crane. In the year 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 in order to produce it and go into business.