City Cranes
The term "City Crane" refers to a small 2-axle mobile crane that is made to be used particularly in tight places where regular cranes could not venture. These city cranes are popular choices to be utilized through gated areas or within buildings.
City cranes were initially developed during the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density within Japan. There are always new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it necessary for a crane to have the ability to navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
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 single cab, a short chassis and a slanted retractable boom. The slanted retractable boom design takes up a lot less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the short chassis and the independent steering, the city crane is capable of turning in tight spots that will be otherwise unobtainable by other crane designs.
Conventional Truck Crane
A conventional truck crane is a mobile crane that has a lattice boom. The lattice boom is substantially lighter in weight than a hydraulic truck crane boom. The many sections on a lattice boom are able to be added so that the crane can reach over and up an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes need separate power to be able to move down and up and do not lower and raise their loads with any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc built the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine though a lot of adjustments needed to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He understood the industry was moving towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.