City Cranes
The term "City Crane" refers to a small 2-axle mobile crane that is made to be used particularly in tight areas where regular cranes are unable to venture. These city cranes are great alternatives for use within buildings or through gated areas.
During the 1990s, city cranes were originally developed in response to the growing urban density in Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to maneuver through the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
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 compact spots which will be otherwise unaccessible by other types of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is a lot lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom could be added so that the crane can reach over and up an obstacle. Traditional truck cranes need separate power in order to move up and down and do not lower and raise their loads utilizing any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine although many adjustments needed to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He understood the industry was moving 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.