Abstract: A gripper device for a weaving loom having a drive shaft, which rotates in one direction of rotation and the other direction in an alternate manner, where the gripper device has a drive gear rotatably disposed on the drive shaft. This drive gear has a tooth system which is engageable to the tooth system of an assembly, which is non-rotatably disposed on said drive shaft. The gripper device also includes a mechanism for engaging both tooth systems to transmit the rotational movement of the drive shaft to the drive gear, thus moving and withdrawing the gripper device into and from a shed between warp threads.