Universal method of and apparatus for screening debris

Abstract

A universal bar screen cleaner removes debris from a screen positioned in a channel guiding a flow of liquid, solids and the debris. The screen is to prevent the flow of the debris to a liquid treatment basin downstream of the screen. The screen has an upper end, a front side facing the upstream flow and a back side facing the downstream flow. A rake has tines for engaging the screen to move the debris toward and past the upper end of the screen to remove the debris from the screen. A frame supports the rake in a first rake position where the tines are engagable with the screen from the front side, or in a second rake position where the tines are engagable with the screen from the back side. The universal bar screen cleaner is adapted to be mounted over the channel in either of the front raking position or the back raking position according to which type of raking currently is desired, and to be readily movable to the other position to reverse the type of raking, or to provide simultaneous front raking and back raking in the channel. The screen facility may have one or more screens positioned transversely across the channel, or a screen extending parallel to the flow, and baffles across the flow to direct the incoming flow transversely across the channel and toward the screen.