City Cranes
The term "City Crane" means a small 2-axle mobile crane that is made to be used specially in tight areas where standard cranes could not venture. These city cranes are great alternatives to be utilized within buildings or through gated places.
City cranes were initially developed in the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density within Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Basically, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes which are made to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a slanted retractable boom, a single cab and a short chassis. The slanted retractable boom design takes up less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane could turn in compact spots which would be otherwise unaccessible by other crane models.
Conventional Truck Crane
A traditional truck crane is a mobile crane that has a lattice boom. The lattice boom is significantly lighter in weight than a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom can be added so that the crane could reach up and over an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes require separate power to be able to move up and down and do not raise and lower their cargo using any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine though many adjustments had to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was moving towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.