Bottom-dumping sludge pans

Claim 1

IN A METAL-CLEANING BATH OF THE TYPE UTILIZING HIGH TEMPERATURE MOLTEN CHEMICALS, AND HAVING A SLUDGE COLLECTING ZONE FORMING A PORTION OF THE BATH, IMPROVED MEANS FOR REMOVING SLUDGE FROM THE BATH, COMPRISING: A SLUDGE DUMPING ZONE INCLUDING A HOPPER LOCATED ADAJCENT SAID BATH AND SETTLING ZONE; A SLUDGE COLLECTING PAN NORMALLY SUBMERGED IN THE BATH WITHIN THE SLUDGE COLLECTING ZONE, SAID COLLECTING PAN COMPRISING UPWARDLY DIRECTED PERIPHERAL WALL PORTIONS FOR RETAINING SLUDGE WITHIN THE PAN AND HINGED BOTTOM PANEL MEANS ADAPTED TO PIVOT DOWNWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE PAN TO DUMP THE CONTENTS THEREOF, SAID PAN FURTHER PROVIDED WITH STOP MEANS FOR PREVENTING SAID BOTTOM PANEL MEANS FROM PIVOTING UPWARDLY FROM ITS PAN-CLOSING POSITION, AND PAN SUSPENDING MEANS SECURED TO THE UPPER FACE OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL MEANS BY WHICH SAID PAN MAY BE FULLY SUPPORTED IN BALANCED POSITION FROM ABOVE; PAN TRANSPORTING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID PAN SUSPENDING MEANS FROM ABOVE TO LIFT SAID PAN FROM THE BATH AND TRANSPORT IT TO SAID HOPPER SAID HOPPER HAVING PAN SUPPORTING MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING SAID PAN FROM BELOW, IN SUCH CONDITION SAID PAN SUPPORTING MEANS BEING OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BOTTOM PANEL MEANS; SAID COLLECTING PAN BEING FULLY SUPPORTED FROM BELOW WHEN SUBMERGED IN THE SLUDGE COLLECTING ZONE, SO THAT SAID BOTTOM PANEL MEANS IS RESTRAINED FROM OPENING DOWNWARDLY WHEN IN ITS SLUDGE COLLECTING POSITION; WHEREBY SAID COLLECTING PAN REMAINS CLOSED EXCEPT WHEN PLACED ON SAID HOPPER BY SAID TRANSPORTING MEANS, THE RELEASE OF LIFTING FORCE FROM ABOVE ALLOWING SAID BOTTOM PANEL MEANS TO PIVOT DOWNWARDLY TO DUMP THE CONTENTS OF SAID PAN INTO SAID HOPPER.