Waste materials filtering apparatus

An apparatus that removes from a stream of water items of waste materials having dimensions greater than a preselected minimum size, comprising:

• a screen assembly;
• said screen assembly formed by a plurality of link members;
• said link members connected in end to end relation to one another to form a continuous loop means;
• a plurality of said loop means disposed in laterally spaced relation to one another to form said screen assembly;
• each of said loop means positioned in lateral registration with at least one contiguous loop means so that said screen assembly includes a plurality of rows of laterally spaced and laterally aligned link members that define laterally disposed spaces therebetween through which spaces water and small debris may flow freely;
• the lower end of said screen assembly being immersed in said stream of water and the upper end of said screen assembly being disposed out of said stream;
• a motor for rotating said screen assembly;
• said link members having a generally "L"-shaped configuration and being operable to engage said items and lift them out of said stream of water attendant rotation of said screen assembly by said motor;
• a plurality of sprocket segments positioned interiorly of said loop means formed by said screen assembly and said sprocket segments disposed in laterally spaced relation to one another and having a fixed, common axis of rotation normal to the direction of flow of said stream of water;
• said plurality of sprocket segments being equal in number to the number of spaces defined by a single row of said laterally spaced link members;
• said sprocket segments fixed intermediate said link members, in the spaces defined therebetween, at the upper, nonimmersed end of said screen assembly and said sprocket segments being rotated by said motor;
• and said segments specifically configured and dimensioned to provide full protrusion of said segments through the spaces between said link members which protrusion separates said items from said link members attendant rotation of said screen assembly.