Abstract: A gripping device includes a pair of grippers having one ends supported to be rotatable so as to be opened in an opposing direction so that the grippers grip circular peripheral portions of articles having different diameters with substantially same positions of centers of circular peripheral portions being maintained. Each of the grippers is provided with two projections at portions gripping the article, with a predetermined distance from each other, so that the projections of the grippers grip the article at four circular peripheral portions thereof.

Abstract: A bottle turn prevention mechanism for neck grippers which hold a neck of a bottle 1 from both sides by means of neck grippers 2, 3, wherein contacting sections which contact the neck are continuous with non-contacting sections which do not contact the neck, boundary sections where the non-contacting sections change into the contacting sections in the direction of the rotational force which the bottle receives during capping are formed in acute-angled shapes with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the neck, and this acute-angled shape is formed in such a manner that the angle ? formed between the line L1 linking the front end section 2c, 3c of the boundary section and the center line of the neck, and the tangent L2 to the front end section of the non-contact surface side, lies in the range 0°<??45°.