The present invention relates to a gripping apparatus for carrying along a adhesive panel of material and includes a carriage which is movably guided in the longitudinal direction of the panel and a holding tong disposed on the carriage with its long arms being configured to be adhesion reducing on their interior sides. To improve the economy and operational reliability of the gripping apparatus, it is proposed to equip the interior sides of the tong arms with a continuous adhesion reducing sheet which is pre-tensioned by means of a tensioning frame and to make the adhesion reducing sheet movable with a carriage. Displacement of the holding tongs, which is caused by the movement of the carriage results in a movement of the adhesion reducing sheet in the direction toward the front sections of the tong arms at the same velocity in opposite directions. Without the panel moving, the release movement of the holding tongs causes an adhesive panel of material disposed between the tong arms to be moved out of the tongs and to be released.