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. Since this unit is a self-propelled crane, it could move around a jobsite and completing tasks 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 machinery and enable the crane to function without the use of outriggers, however, there are several models which do use outriggers. In addition, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.
Early Mobile Cranes
Originally, the very first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specially designed short rail lines. When the 20th century arrived, the crawler tractor changed and this brought the introduction of crawler tracks to the construction industry and the agricultural industry. Not long after, excavators adopted the crawler tracks and this further showcased the machine's versatility. It was not long after when manufacturers of cranes decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.
The First Crawler Crane
Northwest Engineering, a crane company within the USA, was the 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
The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was one of the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, wheel-mounted, steam-powered 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.