Early Crane Evolution
Over 4000 years ago, early Egyptians made the very first recorded kind of a crane. The original apparatus was referred to as a shaduf and was initially utilized to transport water. The crane was made out of a pivoting long 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 attached.
During 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 called a beam. The boom was connected to a base that rotates. The treadmill or the wheel was a power-driven operation which had a drum with a rope that wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook which lifted the weight and was attached to a pulley at the top of the boom.
Within Europe, the enormous cathedrals established in the Middle Ages were made using cranes. Cranes were also used to unload and load ships within key ports. Over time, significant developments in crane design evolved. Like for example, a horizontal boom was added to and became known as the jib. This boom addition enabled cranes to have the ability to pivot, thus greatly increasing the range of motion for the equipment. After the 16th century, each side of a rotating housing which 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 quickly changed. At the turn of the century, electric motors and internal combustion or IC engines emerged. What's more, 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 hence carry out bigger tasks in less time.