Crawler Crane
The mobile crawler crane is specific crane designed with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom. These move upon the crawlers tracks. As this crane is self-propelled, it could move around certain work sites without the need for much set up. Because of their enormous size and weight, crawler cranes are rather pricey and even difficult to transport from one place to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and enable the crane to function without utilizing outriggers, although, there are several units that do use outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the movement of the equipment.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specifically constructed for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry as well as the construction industry. 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 First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane manufacturer within the USA, mounted its first crane on crawler tracks. 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. Manufactured in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. In 1925, a company known as 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 manufacture it and go into business.