Heated parts cleaning tank

Claim 1

In combination, an upwardly opening tank including peripherally extending upstanding front and rear walls and opposite end walls interconnected at their lower marginal portions by means of a bottom wall extending and secured therebetween, said tank being adapted to have a cleaning liquid disposed therein to a predetermined level, heater means in a lower portion of said tank below said level operative to heat said liquid, a multi-branched tubular air manifold disposed horizontally in said tank spaced above said bottom wall and below said level, said manifold including means defining jet-type air outlet openings therefor spaced along the multiple branches of said manifold and operative to discharge jets of air upwardly into the liquid disposed in said tank in response to the interior of said manifold being communicated with a source of air under pressure, an upwardly opening receptacle including foraminated bottom wall portions, said receptacle and tank including means for supporting said receptacle within a lower portion of said tank above said manifold and with said receptacle at least projecting below said level, the upper marginal edges of said walls including peripherally continuous outwardly projecting flange means terminating outwardly in peripherally continuous upwardly projecting flange means, said receptacle including upstanding front and rear walls and opposite end walls interconnected at their lower marginal portions by means of said foraminated bottom wall portions, the forward marginal portions of said receptacle end walls including outstanding upright abutment flanges, said end walls of said tank including upstanding inwardly projecting guide flanges forwardly of which said abutment flanges are closely disposed when said receptacle is supported within said tank, said receptacle being upwardly displaceable to a position with said receptacle closely adjacent the upper marginal portions of said tank and with said abutment flanges elevated slightly above said guide flanges, and horizontal inwardly projecting tank wall abutment flanges spaced rearwardly of and closely below the upper ends of said guide flanges, said receptacle, when in said elevated position, being slightly rearwardly displaceable to pass said abutment flanges rearwardly of said guide flanges and thereafter slightly downwardly displaceable to a position with said receptacle abutment flanges abutted against and supported from said tank wall abutment flanges and with the rear marginal portion of the bottom of said receptacle spaced closely adjacent the inner surfaces of the upper marginal portion of the rear wall of said tank, and horizontally inwardly projecting abutment means carried by the upper marginal portion of said rear wall and from which the rear marginal portion of said receptacle may be supported when in said elevated position, said rear marginal portion of said receptacle being spaced forwardly of said abutment means when said abutment flanges are disposed forwardly of said guide flanges.