Early Crane Evolution
The very first recorded concept or kind of a crane was utilized by the early Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. This device was called a shaduf and was used to transport water. The crane was made out of a pivoting long beam which balanced on a vertical support. On one end a heavy weight was connected and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was connected.
In the first century, cranes were made to be powered by humans or animals that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. These cranes had a wooden long boom called a beam. The boom was attached to a base which rotates. The wheel or the treadmill was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope that wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook that was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom and lifted the weight.
Cranes were used extensively during the Middle Ages to make the huge cathedrals in Europe. These devices were also used to load and unload ships within key ports. Eventually, major advancements in crane design evolved. Like for instance, a horizontal boom was added to and was called the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, therefore really increasing the equipment's range of motion. Following the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing that held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Cranes used animals and humans for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes rapidly when steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, electric motors as well as internal combustion or IC engines emerged. Furthermore, cranes became designed out of steel and cast iron rather than wood. The new designs proved longer lasting and more efficient. They could obviously run longer as well with their new power sources and thus carry out larger tasks in less time.