The hydraulic truck crane is a specialized mobile crane which utilizes hydraulic power to lift and move thousands of pounds. Hydraulics utilizes forces being transmitted through oil pushing on the pistons of the boom in opposite directions in order to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are very essential in constructing major projects such as airports, bridges, streets and buildings. A crane can complete in minutes jobs which would normally take lots of hours and hundreds of men to complete.
The vast machinery are commonly used in the building of cities, homes, whole nations and individual buildings throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids in Egypt were probably constructed utilizing basic cranes to enable the heaviest materials in one of the most amazing construction projects of all time.
The very first representation of a crane was featured during the reign of King Ramses within Egypt during 3000 B.C. This was a portrayal of a lifting device which was used to collect water. The first official "cranes" appeared in Ancient Greece. These devices were used to build a whole country during the 5th century B.C.
Originally, 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 developed the first cast iron cranes in Bolton, England, during 1834. This machine was capable of lifting up to 2 tons. That very same year, wire ropes were 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 allowed cranes to have a larger capacity to lift heavy weights.
Eventually, the wire ropes were weaved together in order to form an even more powerful strength. This wire formation also brought the added benefit of flexibility. Germany started to build cast iron cranes 4 years later. The very first cast iron crane built by Germany was built in Neuburg.