What's the difference between a deep fryer and a chip pan? As described in the Wikipedia article, a chip pan is a pan that contains oil for frying. The oil is heated to a high temperature, and then usually a metal basket is lowered into the pan for frying of things, such as chips.

The article contains this sentence:


  Chip pans are commonly used in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, although are slowly being outmoded by deep fryers.
  Chip pan


When I look up the article for deep fryer on Wikipedia, it described what seems to me to be the same thing:


  Deep fryers generally have a basket to lower the food into the oil tank and raise it when the food has finished cooking.
  Deep fryer


These descriptions appear to be the same to me, are there any differences between the two that I don't understand?
The part that handles the food is comparable, as you noted: A container for the hot oil plus a basket to lift the food out again. 

But the difference is in the periphery: 

A chip pan is just a pan (or what you may also call a pot), but the heating is done on the stove, like for all other pots.

A deep fryer has its own heating system, either via a heated thick wire in the container or by heating the exterior walls. It’s an independent unit and actually shouldn’t be placed on a stove for various reasons. It typically has an insulated exterior and often a lid to minimize splattering and keep the oil from dirtying up the kitchen. If you see a built in fryer  in a commercial kitchen setup, it’s still a separate unit.