Early Crane Evolution
The very first recorded idea or type of a crane was utilized by the early Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. This device was referred to as a shaduf and was used to transport water. The crane was made out of a long pivoting beam that balanced on a vertical support. On one end a bucket was attached and on the other end of the beam, a heavy weight was connected.
Cranes that were built in the first century were powered by animals or by humans that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. The crane consisted of a long wooden beam which was called a boom. The boom was connected to a base which rotates. The wheel or the treadmill was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope that wrapped around it. This rope additionally had a hook that was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom and carried the weight.
In Europe, the huge cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were made using cranes. Cranes were also utilized to unload and load ships in major ports. Eventually, major developments in crane design evolved. Like for instance, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, therefore really increasing the range of motion for the machinery. After the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing which held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Even until the mid-19th century, cranes continued to depend on humans and animals for power. Once steam engines were developed, this all rapidly changed. At the turn of the century, electric motors as well as internal combustion or IC engines emerged. Cranes also became designed out of cast iron and steel as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They can obviously run longer too with their new power sources and thus carry out larger tasks in less time.