Crane Toys

Types of Crane

This section is all about the different types of crane and their uses.

Each type of crane is designed for a very specific function, its characteristics and specifications depending upon the types of loads it has to lift.

Some cranes are fixed, others mobile, some are designed to operate on water and others on rails.

• The Tower Crane is fixed to a heavy concrete base. The jib is attached at the top of the tower, or mast, via a slewing unit which allows it to turn. A concrete counter weight offsets the load which is hooked to a cable as it moves horizontally along the jib on a trolley. Some tower cranes, known as self erecting cranes, can be jacked up and new sections added to raise the height of the jib.
• Overhead Cranes and Gantry Cranes operate in a similar fashion with steel columns on either side of a high beam along which a trolley runs. These are commonly found unloading ship containers at ports and inside large factories and foundries.
• The Floating Crane as its name suggests is mounted on for example a large tug boat or barge and used on water to lift heavy loads such as bridge sections.
• Train Cranes are mounted on wagons which can run on rails and are useful for loading and unloading freight as well as rail maintenance work.
• Crane Trucks are basically cranes mounted on trucks for greater versatility and ease of transport. Truck cranes have the all important ability to travel on the public highway. They have at least four stabilizers or outriggers which give these specialist vehicles much greater stability when lifting. Extendable telescopic booms increase the lifting height of such mobile cranes.
• In the UK a truck with a crane arm mounted behind the driver's cab is called a HIAB, after the name of the manufacturer. The HIAB is a rigid flat bed truck with a crane arm for conveniently and efficiently loading and discharging heavy loads, thus eliminating the need for two vehicles.
• A Crawler Crane or tracked crane has giant caterpillar tracks which both enable it to move around uneven terrain and also to lift without the need for outlying stabilizers.
• The Loadall is a multi purpose four wheel vehicle that can be used as a crane especially on building sites; it also has digger and forklift attachments.