Abstract: A gas operated tube emptying apparatus for firing missiles into a tube. The apparatus includes a gas source, a gas control and delivery unit connected to the source for delivering the pressure and amount of gas needed. The apparatus further includes a missile delivery unit having a bin for holding a plurality of missiles and a missile loading tube extending between the delivery unit and a firing chamber. The firing chamber has a barrel extending upwardly therefrom and is connected to the gas source so that as the gas control unit supplies a burst of gas a missile is drawn into the barrel from the chamber and fired through the barrel into a tube.

Abstract: A method of emptying tubes containing particles includes the steps of propelling missiles up the tube, striking and dislodging the particles, causing the particles and missiles to fall out of the bottom of the tube into a receptacle from which they are removed by vacuum. A gas controlled, gas activated missile loading and firing apparatus for firing burst of missiles into one or more tubes is used to dislodge and empty the particles contained therein.