Early Crane Evolution
The very first recorded idea or kind of a crane was used by the early Egyptians over 4000 years ago. This device was known as a shaduf and was used to transport water. The crane was made out of a pivoting long beam that balanced on a vertical support. On one end a bucket was attached and on the other end of the beam, a heavy weight was connected.
In the first century, cranes were built to be powered by humans or animals that were moving on a treadmill or a wheel. These cranes had a wooden long boom referred to as a beam. The boom was attached to a base that rotates. The wheel or the treadmill was a power-driven operation that had a drum with a rope which wrapped around it. This rope also had a hook that was connected to a pulley at the top of the boom and carried the weight.
Cranes were used extensively in the Middle Ages to make the huge cathedrals in Europe. These devices were also utilized to unload and load ships within major ports. Eventually, 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, hence greatly increasing the machine'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 depend 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. Cranes also became designed out of steel and cast iron as opposed to wood. The new designs proved more efficient and longer lasting. They can obviously run longer too with their new power sources and therefore carry out bigger jobs in less time.