Early Crane Evolution
More than 4000 years ago, early Egyptians created the first recorded version of a crane. The original device was called a shaduf and was initially 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 built to be powered by humans or animals that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. These cranes had a long wooden boom called a beam. The boom was connected to a base which 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 which was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom and lifted the weight.
Cranes were utilized extensively throughout the Middle Ages to make the enormous cathedrals in Europe. These devices were also used to unload and load ships in key ports. Over time, major developments in crane design evolved. For example, a horizontal boom was added to and was referred to as the jib. This boom addition allowed cranes to have the ability to pivot, hence greatly increasing the machine's range of motion. Following the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing that held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Cranes utilized humans and animals for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes rapidly once steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, electric motors and internal combustion or IC engines emerged. Cranes also became designed out of cast iron and steel 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 finish larger jobs in less time.