Traveling screen machine

1. A traveling screen machine for mechanically separating and extracting solid components, solid bodies or solid matter from a liquid stream flowing in a sluice channel having sidewalls, wherein the sluice channel has an upstream section which is upstream from the screen machine and a downstream section which is downstream from the screen machine and a liquid flowing from said upstream section to said downstream section, the travelling screen machine comprising:

an endless traveling screen driven by a drive apparatus for mechanically separating and extracting solids from said liquid stream, said endless traveling screen including:

an active downstream screen section wherein said endless traveling screen is spread out, across a width of said sluice channel by a guide means and immersed in said flowing liquid;

a compressed upstream screen section wherein said endless traveling screen is bent, folded or compressed by a guide means, such that said endless traveling screen is substantially spaced from said sidewalls of said sluice channel and immersed in said flowing liquid; and

a drive apparatus including at least one drive motor;

wherein liquid containing solids flows through said sluice channel, substantially past said compressed upstream screen section without passing therethrough, and through said active downstream screen section where said solids are removed from said flowing liquid.

2. The traveling screen machine of claim 1 , wherein the active screen section of the endless travelling screen is aligned substantially transverse to the flow direction of the liquid stream in the sluice channel.

3. The traveling screen machine of claim 1 , wherein the endless travelling screen is chain driven by the drive apparatus.

4. The traveling screen machine of claim 1 , wherein the chive apparatus comprises a sprocket.

5. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a deflector operatively disposed in the upstream section of the liquid stream.

6. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , further comprising flow openings operatively disposed between the compressed upstream screen section and the active downstream screen section, through which the liquid stream flows into an inside surface of the traveling screen machine.

7. The traveling screen machine according to claim 6 , further comprising flow openings operatively interposed between the compressed upstream screen section and the active downstream screen section, through which an incoming, parted liquid stream at least substantially bypasses the compressed upstream screen section, and flows into the inside of the traveling screen machine and is rejoined in the inside of the traveling screen machine, to then flow to the active downstream screen section.

8. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , wherein the active downstream screen section comprises first and second edges, and is held on its downstream side only by a guide means extending at the first and second edges so that the active downstream screen section curves or bends in a flow direction of the liquid stream.

9. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a transverse extension of the endless traveling screen in the active downstream screen section to a transverse extension of the endless screen belt in the compressed upstream screen section, is between 3:1 and 1.1:1.

10. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a transverse extension of the endless traveling screen in the active downstream screen section to a transverse extension of the endless screen belt in the compressed upstream screen section is between 2.5:1 and 1.5:1.

11. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , wherein the endless traveling screen comprises a flexible, perforated plastic belt, a woven belt or a chain-link belt.

12. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive apparatus for driving the endless traveling screen comprises two drive wheels arranged on either side of the endless traveling screen, wherein the drive wheels are arranged at an angle with respect to each other, which is determined by a ratio of a transverse extension of the endless traveling screen in the active downstream screen section to a transverse extension of the endless traveling screen in the compressed upstream screen section.

13. The traveling screen machine according to claim 1 , further comprising spray nozzles or compressed air nozzles arranged on an outside of the endless traveling screen, and a debris collection trough arranged on an inside of the endless traveling screen opposite the spray nozzles or compressed air nozzles for collecting debris sprayed off the endless traveling screen.