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