Abstract: A paint spray booth in which articles such as automobiles are sprayed while moving along a conveyor line passing through the working area of the booth. Air is moved from an area above the articles and downwardly around the articles for discharge through a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertical passages positioned along the center line of the booth and water supplied to a pan positioned beneath the articles is caused to cascade down the vertical passages for mixture with the spray-laden air so that the spray is transferred from the air to the water. As the air leaves the lower ends of the vertical passages, it is directed laterally to impact one side of the booth, thence abruptly upwardly to separate entrained water, and thence in the other lateral direction toward the other side of the booth for passage through the spaces defined between the vertical passages.

Abstract: An aqueous solution carrying paint solids is fed through an inlet into a floatation tank. The clean liquid exits through an orifice whose size is controlled by a movable gate. The level of the liquid within the tank is sensed by an ultrasonic rangefinder and the distance signals output from this rangefinder are fed to an electronic controller. During normal operation, this controller periodically supplies power signals to an electric actuator to adjust the position of the gate whereby the level of the liquid in the tank can be maintained substantially at the a first predetermined level. The controller may also include means for causing the liquid to rise to a second predetermined level after a preset time such that the paint solids are transferred over a weir into a collecting vessel. Thereafter the liquid level is caused to rapidly drop and is again maintained at the first level.