Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular kind of mobile crane which is available with either a telescopic boom or a lattice boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Because this unit is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing jobs without much set-up. Due to their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are fairly costly and even difficult to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and allow the crane to function without the use of outriggers, although, there are some models which do use outriggers. Also, the tracks provide the movement of the machinery.
Early Mobile Cranes
The very first mobile cranes were initially mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specifically built for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction business as well as the agricultural industry. 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 USA, was the very first to mount its crane on crawler tracks during the 1920s. It described the new machinery as a "locomotive crane, independent of tracks and moveable under its own power." By the middle part of the 1920s, crawler tracks had become the chosen means of traction for heavy crane operations.
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 a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. In 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 to be able to manufacture it and go into business.