City Cranes
The term "City Crane" refers to a small 2-axle mobile crane that is designed to be used particularly in tight areas where standard cranes could not venture. These city cranes are popular choices for use through gated places or within buildings.
City cranes were originally developed in the 1990s as a response to the increasing urban density in Japan. There are continually new construction projects cramming their ways into the cities in Japan, making it vital for a crane to have the ability to maneuver through the nooks and crannies of Japanese streets.
Basically, city cranes are small rough terrain cranes that are built 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 less space than a comparable horizontal boom would. Combined with the independent steering and the short chassis, the city crane can turn in compact spots which will be otherwise unobtainable by other kinds of cranes.
Conventional Truck Crane
Conventional 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 can reach over and up an obstacle. Traditional truck cranes do not lower and raise their loads utilizing any hydraulic power and need separate power to be able to move up and down.
Manitowoc made the very first ever Speedcrane. It proved to be a successful device though a lot 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 moving towards IC engines from original steam powered means and designed his crane to change with the times. The Speedcrane was redesigned for a gasoline engine.