City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term used to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that could operate in tight areas where the typical crane could not access. These city cranes are great choices to be utilized within buildings or through gated areas.
City cranes were initially developed in the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density within Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it necessary 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 built 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 independent steering and the short chassis, the city crane can turn in tight spots which would be otherwise unaccessible by other types of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
A conventional truck crane is a mobile crane that has a lattice boom. The lattice boom is substantially lighter in weight than a hydraulic truck crane boom. The many sections on a lattice boom can be added so that the crane can reach over and up an obstacle. Traditional truck cranes require separate power to be able to move down and up and do not lower and raise their cargo using any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc made the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine though a lot of 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 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.