Some people wonder how a crane operates. In her YouTube video, “How Do Cranes Work?” narrator Maddie, of “Maddie’s Do You Know Channel”, explains how cranes move. Maddie is charming, energetic, and easy to understand.
How the Boom Rises
Maddie explains the lifting arm of a crane is called a boom. When a button is pressed by the crane operator, a hydraulic cylinder fills with oil and water.
With the cylinder full, but with the water pressure continuing against an iron bar, the iron bar begins lifting the boom.
When the iron bar is wholly extended, a second button is pressed. A hydraulic cylinder then lifts the boom to its highest height. A pulley with a large hook hangs from the end of the crash. Once the boom is completely extended, the pulley can be raised and lowered by the crane operator.
Methods of Lifting
There are three basic ways a crane lifts something. If the item must be lifted from the bottom, it uses a “fork” (shaped like a right-angled bookend.) If the object is rounded, it’s lifted by a grommet (shaped like a claw.) A small group of items can be lifted by placing it on a “chip” (a square, flat surface), which is lifted via side chains.
