Method for handling overspray materials

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR HANDLING OVERSPRAY PAINT MATERIALS IN A PAINT SPRAY BOOTH WHERE ARTICLES ARE SPRAYED WITH A PAINT CONTAINING BITUMINOUS MATERIALS IN HIGHLY VOLATILE ORGANIC PAINT SOLVENT, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE ELIMINATING FROM SAID OVERSPRAY PAINT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID HIGHLY VOLATILE PAINT SOLVENT BY VOLATILIZATION THEREOF DURING SAID SPRAYING, COLLECTING THE REMAINDER OF SAID OVERSPRAY PAINT IN SAID SPRAY BOOTH WITH AQUEOUS WASHING LIQUID INCLUDING DISSOLVED PAINT KILLER SURFACE ACTIVE AND DETERGENT COMPONENTS AND A WATER-IMMISCIBLE ORGANIC DISPERSING SOLVENT FOR SAID BITUMINOUS COMPONENTS OF SAID PAINT, WHICH DEPRESING SOLVENT IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS VOLATILE THAN SAID HIGHLY VOLATILE PAINT SOLVENT AND HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LESS THAN 1, KILLING SAID OVERSPRAY PAINT WITH SAID AQUEOUS WASHING LIQUID COMPONENTS FOR PREVENTING ADHERENCE OF SAID PAINT TO SAID SPRAY BOOTH EVEN AFTER REMOVAL OF SAID HIGHLY VOLATILE PAINT SOLVENT THEREFROM, COLLECTING AND DISPERSING NONVOLATILIZED COMPONENTS OF SAID KILLED BITUMINOUS PAINT IN SAID AQUEOUS WASHING LIQUID, FLOWING SAID WASHING LIQUID WITH SAID MATERIALS DISPERSED THEREIN AWAY FROM SAID SPRAY BOOTH WITH LITTLE AGITATION FOR EFFECTING SEPARATION OF SAID WASHING LIQUID INTO A FLOATING LAYER COMPRISING SAID IMMISCIBLE LESS VOLATILE ORGANIC DISPERSING SOLVENT AND AN AQUEOUS LOWER LAYER WITH ACCUMULATION OF SAID DISPERSED PAINT MATERIALS IN SAID SEPARATED FLOATING LAYER, CONTINUOUSLY SKIMMING PORTIONS OF SAID SEPARATE FLOATING LAYER INCLUDING SAID DISPERSED MATERIAL FROM SAID LOWER AQUEOUS LAYER, AND RECIRCULATING SAID LOWER AQUEOUS LAYER BACK TO SAID SPRAY BOOTH AS SAID AQUEOUS WASHING LIQUID THEREIN FOR THE TREATMENT OF SUBSEQUENT QUANTITIES OF SAID OVERSPRAY PAINT MATERIAL THEREIN.