Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular type of mobile crane that is offered with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Because this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and completing jobs without much set-up. Due to their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are fairly pricey and even difficult to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and allow the crane to work without using outriggers, although, there are several models that do utilize outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the movement of the machine.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines that were particularly built for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry and the agricultural business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased 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
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer in the United States, mounted its 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 operations.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was amongst the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton crane. In the year 1925, a company referred to as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's marketability and potential. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers in order to manufacture it and go into business.