Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific kind of mobile crane that is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom that moves upon crawler tracks. As this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without much set-up. Because of their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are are difficult to transport from one site to another and are rather expensive. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and enable the crane to work without utilizing outriggers, although, there are several units that do use outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were particularly constructed for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural business and the construction business. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further featured the equipment's versatility. It was not long after before crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
Around the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer in the USA, 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 operations.
The Speedcrane
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was among the first attempts to replicate 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 marketability and the potential of the tracked crane. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers so as to manufacture it and go into business.