Various KInds of Crawler-Mounted Cranes
In order to be able to power a huge variety of machinery, industrial wheel tractors were modified during the 1920s, by Fordson and McCormick-Deering. For example, half-swing shovels and cranes were manufactured by several companies around the power train and engine of the tractor and the wheels became replaced by crawlers.
Crawler tractors came into widespread use throughout the 1930s. Immediately after, many manufacturers started manufacturing attachments for them, like for instance various lifting equipment devices.
Side-mounted booms for instance, were utilized primarily for pipe-laying at first and the equipment got the nickname "pipelayer." These types of machines are frequently utilized nowadays for attending to cleaning up railroad derailments. Due to their size, compact design and mobility, along with outstanding lifting capacity, these kinds of machinery are great for this use. Moreover, swing booms which mounted on top of the engine compartment became available too.
LIke a crawler tractor, crawler cranes travel on crawler tracks. Due to their intense weight, these machinery do not move really fast. Typically, the crane can be controlled by 2 or more cable operated drums and is powered by one engine. The crawler cranes are available with a lattice boom or a telescopic arm which is easy to extend by utilizing hydraulics. The lattice boom should be manually assembled by adding many sections.
Tower Cranes
Typically found in big construction projects, tower cranes are required to be built and broken down on location. They have to be transported by truck every time they are relocated. These tower cranes are very tall. They enable construction crews to transport concrete building components or heavy steel to the tops of tall buildings. Tower cranes use a hydraulic system to push each new crane section up into position and thus, are self-erecting.