Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific type of mobile crane that is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Because this model is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without much set-up. Because of their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are rather expensive and even difficult to transport from one location to another. The crawler's tracks offer stability to the equipment and enable the crane to function without using outriggers, however, there are several units that do utilize outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the machine's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
The first mobile cranes were originally mounted to train cars. They moved along short rail lines which were specifically constructed for the project. Once the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor evolved and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry as well as the agricultural industry. Not long after, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further featured 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 company in the USA, was the first to mount its crane on crawler tracks in the 1920s. 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
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, wheel-mounted, steam-powered crane. During 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 to be able to manufacture it and go into business.