The hydraulic truck crane is a specific mobile crane that uses hydraulic power to lift and transport thousands of pounds. Hydraulics utilizes forces being transmitted through oil pushing on the pistons of the boom in opposite directions so as to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are essential in building major projects like for instance airports, bridges, streets and buildings. A crane could accomplish in minutes tasks which will normally take hundreds of men and lots of hours to complete.
These impressive equipments have played a vital part in constructing cities, houses, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids within Egypt were probably built utilizing basic cranes to allow the heaviest supplies in one of the most awesome construction projects of all time.
The very first cranes were established during 3000 B.C. Egypt during King Ramses' reign. This lifting device was first used to collect water. The very first official "cranes" appeared during Ancient Greece. These mechanism were utilized to create an entire country throughout the 5th century B.C.
Initially, cranes were first made out of wood. It wasn't until the designers building dockyards decided they required something stronger and bigger did these equipments evolve. Hick & Rothwell designed the first cast iron cranes in Bolton, England, in the year 1834. This machine was capable of lifting as much as 2 tons. That same year, the addition of wire rope was added to the crane by Herr Albert Sr. who was an Official of the German Superior Board. The wire rope made the crane stronger and more durable. This addition enabled cranes to have a larger capacity for lifting heavy weights.
The wire ropes were weaved together forming a more powerful rope with even more strength. The newly formed wire also added more flexibility. Germany began to make cast iron cranes 4 years later. The very first cast iron crane made by Germany was made in Neuburg.