Early Crane Evolution
The very first recorded concept or version of a crane was used by the early Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. This apparatus was known as a shaduf and was utilized to transport water. The crane was made out of a long pivoting beam which balanced on a vertical support. On one end a heavy weight was attached and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was connected.
During the first century, cranes were built to be powered by animals or humans that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. These cranes had a long wooden boom referred to as a beam. The boom was attached to a base which rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook that was connected to a pulley at the top of the boom and carried the weight.
Cranes were utilized extensively in the Middle Ages to build the huge cathedrals in Europe. These devices were also designed to load and unload ships in key ports. Over time, major crane design advancements evolved. For example, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence really increasing the range of motion for the machine. After the 16th century, cranes had incorporated two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing that held the boom.
Cranes used animals and humans for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes rapidly when steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, IC or internal combustion engines and electric motors emerged. Cranes also became designed out of cast iron and steel as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They could obviously run longer also with their new power sources and therefore complete bigger jobs in less time.