City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term used to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that could operate in tight spaces where the typical crane cannot access. These city cranes are popular choices to be used within buildings or through gated areas.
In the 1990s, city cranes were originally developed in response to the growing urban density in Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into Japanese cities, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to steer through the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
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 much 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 will be otherwise unobtainable by other types of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is a lot lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The many sections on a lattice boom could be added so that the crane could reach up and over an obstacle. Traditional 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 device though lots of adjustments needed 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 IC engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.