Early Crane Evolution
The first recorded idea or version of a crane was used by the early Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. This device was known 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 heavy weight was attached and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was attached.
Cranes which were made in the first century were powered by animals or by humans that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. The crane consisted of a long wooden beam that 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 which wrapped around it. This rope additionally had a hook which was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom and carried the weight.
Cranes were utilized extensively during the Middle Ages to build the huge cathedrals within Europe. These devices were also designed to load and unload ships within major ports. Eventually, major developments in crane design evolved. Like for instance, a horizontal boom was added to and was called the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence really increasing the machine's range of motion. After the 16th century, cranes had included two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing which held the boom.
Even until the mid-19th century, cranes continued to rely on humans and animals for power. When 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 longer lasting and more efficient. They could obviously run longer as well with their new power sources and thus complete bigger jobs in less time.