City Cranes
The term "City Crane" refers to a small 2-axle mobile crane that is made to be used specifically in tight areas where regular cranes can not venture. These city cranes are popular choices for use through gated places or in buildings.
In 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 navigate the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
Basically, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are made to be road legal. These cranes are characterized by having a 2-axle design with independent steering on each axle, a slanted retractable boom, a single cab and a short chassis. The slanted retractable boom design takes up a lot less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the independent steering and the short chassis, the city crane can turn in tight spots which would be otherwise unaccessible by other kinds of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Traditional truck cranes are mobile cranes with lattice booms. This boom is much lighter boom than is found with a hydraulic truck crane boom. The multiple sections on a lattice boom can be added so that the crane could reach up and over an obstacle. Conventional truck cranes need separate power to be able to move down and up and do not raise and lower their cargo with any hydraulic power.
Manitowoc made the first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful machine although lots 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 changing towards IC engines from original steam powered methods and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.