Early Crane Evolution
More than 4000 years ago, early Egyptians made the very first recorded kind 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 long pivoting beam which 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.
During the first century, cranes were made to be powered by animals or humans that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. These cranes had a long wooden boom called a beam. The boom was attached to a base which rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation that 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 lifted the weight.
Cranes were used extensively in the Middle Ages to build the enormous cathedrals within Europe. These devices were also designed to unload and load ships in key ports. Over time, significant advancements in crane design evolved. For example, a horizontal boom was added to and was called the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, thus really increasing the equipment's range of motion. 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. When steam engines were developed, this all quickly changed. At the turn of the century, electric motors as well as IC or internal combustion engines emerged. In addition, cranes became designed out of steel and cast iron rather than wood. The new designs proved longer lasting and more efficient. They can obviously run longer too with their new power sources and therefore complete bigger tasks in less time.