Early Crane Evolution
More than 4000 years ago, early Egyptians made the very first recorded version of a crane. The original apparatus was referred to as a shaduf and was first 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 attached.
Cranes that were built in the first century were powered by humans or by animals that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. The crane consisted of a long wooden beam which was known as a boom. The boom was connected to a base that rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation that 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.
Within Europe, the enormous cathedrals established during the Middle Ages were made using cranes. Cranes were also utilized to unload and load ships within key ports. Eventually, major crane design developments 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, hence greatly increasing the machine's range of motion. Following the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing that held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Even until the mid-19th century, cranes continued to depend on humans and animals for power. When steam engines were developed, this all rapidly changed. At the turn of the century, electric motors and IC or internal combustion engines emerged. Cranes also became designed out of steel and cast iron as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They could obviously run longer as well with their new power sources and thus complete bigger tasks in less time.