City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term used to define small 2-axle mobile cranes which could operate in compact areas where the typical crane could not access. These city cranes are great choices to be utilized inside buildings or through gated areas.
City cranes were initially developed in the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density in Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it necessary for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
Basically, 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 much less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane can turn in tight spots that will be otherwise unobtainable by other crane designs.
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 can be added so that the crane could reach up and over an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes do not raise and lower their cargo using any hydraulic power and need separate power to be able to move up and down.
The first ever Speedcrane was made by Manitowoc. It was a successful equipment even if further adjustments needed 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 methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.