Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a particular kind 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 could move around a jobsite and completing jobs without much set-up. Due to their enormous size and weight, crawler cranes are are hard to transport from one place to another and are rather pricey. The crawler's tracks provide stability to the machine and allow the crane to function without using outriggers, however, there are some models which do utilize outriggers. Moreover, 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 that were specifically made for the project. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the agricultural industry as well as the construction industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further featured the versatility of the equipment. It was not long after when crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The Very First Crawler Crane
In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company in the United States, mounted its very first crane on crawler tracks. 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 chosen 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. Made within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was a wheel-mounted, steam-powered, 15 ton crane. During the year 1925, a company known as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's potential and marketability. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers to be able to produce it and go into business.