Abstract: A system for removing packing coke from baking chambers of a furnace for baking carbon bodies includes a crane mounted for movement along a rail, a silo supported by the crane, a suction tube connected to the silo and insertable into packing in a furnace baking chamber, and structure for supplying vacuum to the suction tube to remove the packing coke therethrough from the chamber into the silo. The vacuum structure includes a closed vacuum duct extending parallel to the rail, the vacuum duct having an upper slide surface and a plurality of valves spaced along the slide surface. A stationary vacuum source is connected to the vacuum duct and creates therein a vacuum. A sliding box is supported by the crane and is movable thereby along the vacuum duct over the valves on the slide surface. Each valve is openable by a respective pneumatic cylinder.