An weft yarn gripping device in a shuttleless loom in which the spring-loaded lever for pressing the gripping foot onto the relative rigid gripping surface cooperates with a travel stop block which absorbs part of the load exerted by said spring. The block is connected to the foot by a leaf spring rigid with the lever, and the leaf spring is inserted into a slot in a connection block which is rigid with said foot. Various mechanisms are also provided for varying the load transmitted to the gripping foot.