A Brief History of Cranes

In a bid to learn more, and design the most efficient crane, I've attempted to put myself in the position of the original crane designers by studying the history of them.

Power Sources


The very first cranes were invented for use in construction much like those today. However, they were on a much smaller scale and were powered only by men or animals. These were eventually developed to include the treadmill where multiple men or animals could drive the winch together.


In the 18th century, steam engines were invented and used to power cranes. In more modern times, the development of combustion engines, electric motors and hydraulic systems give cranes the power to lift colossal weights.


Specific Systems


The compound pulley system was first mentioned in aristotles writings and later on, crane technology flourished during the roman empire.

The most basic type of crane used was the "trispastos".

This incorporated a jib, a winch, a rope and a block which used 3 pulleys.

The name trispastos indicates that the system uses a 3 pulley block.


Other systems include the "pentaspastos", a system with 5 pulleys.

The largest type was called the "polypastos", a system using many pulleys which could lift over 3 tons per person operating it.

Diagrams courtesy of Eric Gaba.