Early Crane Evolution
The very first recorded concept or kind of a crane was used by the early Egyptians over 4000 years ago. This apparatus was referred to as a shaduf and was used 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.
In the first century, cranes were made to be powered by humans or animals that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. These cranes had a wooden long boom known as a beam. The boom was connected to a base that rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation that had a drum with a rope that wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook which carried the weight and was connected to a pulley at the top of the boom.
In Europe, the enormous cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were made using cranes. Cranes were also designed to unload and load ships within key ports. Over time, significant advancements in crane design evolved. For instance, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, therefore really increasing the machine's range of motion. After the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing which held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Cranes utilized animals and humans for power until the mid-19th century. This all changes quickly when steam engines were developed. At the turn of the century, Internal combustion or IC engines as well as electric motors emerged. Cranes also became designed out of cast iron and steel as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They could obviously run longer too with their new power sources and hence finish larger tasks in less time.