Crawler Crane
The crawler crane is a specific kind of mobile crane that is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom which moves upon crawler tracks. Because this unit is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without a lot of set-up. Due to their huge weight and size, crawler cranes are rather costly and even hard to transport from one site to another. The crawler's tracks provide the machinery stability and allow the crane to function without using outriggers, however, there are some units which do utilize outriggers. What's more, the tracks provide the movement of the equipment.
Early Mobile Cranes
Initially, the first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specially made short rail lines. 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, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the versatility of the machine. It was not long after before crane manufacturers 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 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 amongst the first attempts to replicate the rails for cranes. Manufactured within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. During 1925, a company referred to as Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's potential and marketability. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers in order to manufacture it and go into business.