Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific type of mobile crane that is available with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Since this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without much set-up. Due to their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are rather costly and even difficult to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and allow the crane to function without using outriggers, although, there are several models which do use outriggers. Moreover, 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 that were specially built for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry and the construction business. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the equipment's versatility. It was not long after before manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer within the United States, was the 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 mid-1920s, crawler tracks had become the preferred means of traction for heavy crane uses.
The Speedcrane
Developed by Ray and Charles Moore of Chicago, Illinois; the Moore Speedcrane was one of the first to attempt to copy rail lines for cranes. Made within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. In the year 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the potential and the marketability of the tracked crane. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers so as to produce it and go into business.