City Cranes
The term "City Crane" refers to a small 2-axle mobile crane which is designed to be utilized specially in compact areas where standard cranes are unable to venture. These city cranes are great alternatives to be used within buildings or through gated places.
City cranes were initially developed during the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density within Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Essentially, 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 short chassis, a slanted retractable boom and a single cab. The slanted retractable boom design takes up less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane could 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 multiple 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 up and down and do not raise and lower their loads with any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful device though many 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 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.