City Cranes
"City Crane" is a term used to define small 2-axle mobile cranes that could operate in tight spaces where the typical crane could not access. These city cranes are great choices to be used through gated areas or within buildings.
During the 1990s, city cranes were initially developed in response to the growing urban density in 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 maneuver through the nooks and crannies of Japanese roads.
Basically, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are built to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a short chassis, a slanted retractable boom and a single cab. The slanted retractable boom design takes up much 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 unaccessible by other crane designs.
Conventional Truck Crane
A conventional truck crane is a mobile crane that has a lattice boom. The lattice boom is significantly lighter in weight compared to a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom could be added so that the crane could reach over and up an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes do not raise and lower their loads using any hydraulic power and need separate power to be able to move down and up.
Manitowoc built the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine although a lot of adjustments had to be added later on. Manitowoc hired Roy Moore as a crane designer to help streamline the design. He knew the industry was moving towards internal combustion engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.