Early Crane Evolution
More than 4000 years ago, early Egyptians made the first recorded kind of a crane. The original apparatus was called a shaduf and was first used to transport water. The crane was made out of a long pivoting beam which balanced on a vertical support. On one end a heavy weight was attached and on the other end of the beam, a bucket was connected.
Cranes which were made during the first century were powered by animals or by humans that were moving on a wheel or a treadmill. The crane consisted of a wooden long beam which was referred to as a boom. 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 additionally had a hook which carried 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 made using cranes. Cranes were also used to unload and load ships in major ports. Eventually, significant crane design advancements evolved. 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, thus greatly increasing the equipment's range of motion. After the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing that held the boom incorporated two treadmills.
Even until the mid-19th century, cranes continued to rely on humans and animals for power. When steam engines were developed, this all rapidly changed. At the turn of the century, Internal combustion or IC engines and electric motors emerged. In addition, cranes became designed out of steel and cast iron as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They could obviously run longer as well with their new power sources and thus finish bigger jobs in less time.