City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term utilized to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that can operate in compact spaces where the typical crane cannot access. These city cranes are popular choices to be used through gated places or inside buildings.
In the 1990s, city cranes were initially developed in response to the growing urban density in Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it necessary for a crane to have the ability to maneuver through the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Essentially, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are made to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a single cab, a short chassis and a slanted retractable boom. The slanted retractable boom design takes up a lot less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane is capable of turning in tight spots that would be otherwise unobtainable by other crane models.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is much lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The many sections on a lattice boom are able to be added so that the crane could reach over and up an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes need separate power in order to move down and up and do not lower and raise their cargo utilizing any hydraulic power.
The first ever Speedcrane was made by Manitowoc. It was a successful equipment even if further adjustments had to be added. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was changing towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.