City Cranes
The term "City Crane" means a small 2-axle mobile crane which is made to be utilized specifically in tight places where standard cranes are unable to venture. These city cranes are great alternatives to be used within buildings or through gated places.
In the 1990s, city cranes were originally developed in response to the growing 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 streets.
Essentially, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that 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 short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane is capable of turning in compact spots which would be otherwise unobtainable by other types of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
A conventional truck crane is a mobile crane which has a lattice boom. The lattice boom is significantly lighter in weight than 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. Conventional truck cranes need separate power in order to move up and down and do not lower and raise their loads using any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine although many adjustments needed to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He understood the industry was moving 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.