Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific type of mobile crane which is available with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Because this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and completing tasks without much set-up. Because of their enormous weight and size, crawler cranes are are hard to transport from one site to another and are rather expensive. The crawler's tracks offer the machine stability and allow the crane to function without utilizing outriggers, however, there are several units which do use outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the movement of the machine.
Early Mobile Cranes
Initially, the first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specifically made short rail lines. 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 business. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the equipment's versatility. It was not long after before crane companies 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 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
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was one of the first attempts to replicate the rails for cranes. Manufactured in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a steam-powered, wheel-mounted, 15 ton crane. During 1925, a company referred to 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 in order to produce it and go into business.