Early Crane Evolution
Over 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.
During the first century, cranes were made to be powered by animals or humans that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. These cranes had a wooden long boom referred to as a beam. The boom was attached to a base that rotates. The wheel or the treadmill was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook that lifted the weight and was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom.
In Europe, the huge cathedrals established during the Middle Ages were build utilizing cranes. Cranes were also used to load and unload ships in main ports. Over time, significant developments in crane design evolved. Like for example, a horizontal boom was added to and was referred to as the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence greatly increasing the range of motion for the machine. After the 16th century, cranes had incorporated two treadmills on each side of a rotating housing that held the boom.
Cranes used humans and animals for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes quickly when steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, electric motors as well as IC or internal combustion engines emerged. Furthermore, cranes became designed out of cast iron and steel rather than wood. The new designs proved longer lasting and more efficient. They could obviously run longer also with their new power sources and thus finish bigger tasks in less time.