A device for the removal of a coke-oven door, engaging the door frame of a coking chamber by one or more swingable latch arms that are axially loaded by Belleville springs, comprises a support carrying one or more unlatching heads alignable with the swing axes of respective latch arms along which that body can be moved toward and away from the door by a hydraulic jack linked with a fixed or separately movable base. Each unlatching head comprises a gripper rod axially movable inside a pressure sleeve by means of a hydraulic actuator. The gripper rod has a pair of claws which, when that rod is brought into contact with a knob on a pivot stud of the associated latch arm, are cammable into engagement with this knob by a forward thrusting of the pressure sleeve through the hydraulic actuator. The sleeve then comes to bear upon a collar surrounding the pivot stud whereby an extension of this collar compresses the Belleville springs behind the latch to relieve their pressure upon that arm. The latch arm is now swingable out of frictional engagement with the door frame to facilitate the removal of the door from its frame by the receding support.