Comedil Construction Cranes Houston

Crawler Crane

The crawler crane is a specific type of mobile crane which is offered with either a lattice boom or a telescopic boom that moves upon crawler tracks. Since this model is a self-propelled crane, it is capable of moving around a jobsite and accomplishing tasks without much set-up. Due to their huge size and weight, crawler cranes are are difficult to transport from one site to another and are rather pricey. The crawler's tracks provide stability to the machinery and allow the crane to function without the use of outriggers, however, there are some units which do utilize outriggers. Moreover, the tracks provide the equipment's movement.



Early Mobile Cranes

Initially, the first mobile cranes were mounted to train cars and move along specifically built short rail lines. When 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, the crawler tracks were adopted by excavators and this further showcased the machine's versatility. It was not long after when crane manufacturers decided that the crawler track market was a safe bet.



The First Crawler Crane

In the 1920s, Northwest Engineering, a crane company in 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 uses.



The Speedcrane

The Moore Speedcrane, developed by Charles and Ray Moore of Chicago, Illinois was among the first attempts to copy the rails for cranes. Made within Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Speedcrane was 15 ton, steam-powered, wheel-mounted crane. In 1925, a company called Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin recognized the tracked crane's marketability and potential. They decided to team up with the Moore brothers in order to manufacture it and go into business.

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