Early Crane Evolution
Over 4000 years ago, early Egyptians created the very first recorded type of a crane. The original apparatus was referred to as a shaduf and was first utilized to transport water. The crane was made out of a pivoting long beam which balanced on a vertical support. On one end a bucket was connected and on the other end of the beam, a heavy weight was attached.
In the first century, cranes were built to be powered by animals or humans that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. These cranes had a long wooden boom known as a beam. The boom was attached to a rotating base. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope that wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook that lifted the weight and was connected to a pulley at the top of the boom.
Cranes were utilized extensively during the Middle Ages to build the enormous cathedrals in Europe. These devices were also used to load and unload ships within key ports. Over time, significant advancements in crane design evolved. Like for instance, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, thus greatly increasing the range of motion for the equipment. Following the 16th century, cranes had incorporated two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing that held the boom.
Cranes used animals and humans for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes quickly when steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, electric motors as well as internal combustion or IC engines emerged. Also, cranes 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 also with their new power sources and hence finish bigger tasks in less time.