Bar screen with velocity-control baffles

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A BAR SCREEN AND MEANS DEFINING A CHANNEL TO DIRECT FLOW THROUGH THE SCREEN, SAID CHANNEL MEANS INCLUDING A FLOOR HAVING A RECESS EXTENDING ACROSS THE CHANNEL, SAID SCREEN INCLUDING RAKES HAVING MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAME AROUND THE LOWER END OF THE SCREEN TO A POSITION IN FRONT OF THE SCREEN FOR SUBSEQUENT UPWARD MOVEMENT TO REMOVE THE DEBRIS FROM THE SCREEN AND THE CHANNEL, SAID CHANNEL FURTHER INCLUDING MEANS WHICH PARTIALLY CLOSE SAID RECESS IN ITS NORMAL POSITION AND WHICH IS MOVABLE TO A SECOND POSITION ALLOWING FOR SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID RAKES; FIRST AND SECOND VERTICAL BAFFLES EXTENDING ACROSS THE CHANNEL RESPECTIVELY AND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF SAID MEANS AND DIRECTLY BEHIND SAID RECESS AND BAR SCREEN, SAID BAFFLES BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE FLOW AND FROM THE FLOOR OF THE CHANNEL SO THAT AT ANY GIVEN CHANNEL FLOW AND VELOCITY THE FLOW BENEATH AND BETWEEN THE BAFFLES IS OF SUFFICIENT VELOCITY TO TRANSPORT AT LEAST MOST OF THE SAND OVER SAID RECESS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE RATE OF FLOW OVER THE BAFFLES.