by means of wedge shaped gripper openers introducible between the arms the openers can be smaller and so the angle a i e the working step of the changer can be reduced another step for accelerating changer movement relates to the drive of the projectile 120 in conventional looms the picking stick previously referred to herein in connection with fig3 is driven by a picking lever by way of a connecting link rotation of the picking lever being converted into a linear movement by means of a straight guide path as already known cf ep a 0 333 647 the picking lever can be so devised with an end member that the same can act directly on a struck surface of the projectile 120 the end member for example in the form of a striking roller replaces the picking stick and takes up much less space than the latter more particularly the longitudinal groove 223 in the yarn transfer element 20 see fig3 ceases to be necessary with the advantageous consequence that a changer stroke can be initiated during the retraction movement of the element 20 in conventional looms a changer stroke can be initiated only after completion of the retraction movement the features described together with further considerations of the problem which the invention intends to solve have led to the weft yarn changer 1 according to the invention which is shown as an embodiment in fig5 the yarn transfer element 2 see fig7 being shown in simplified form as a rod 2 39 in addition to the rods 2 39 the device comprises guide lamellae 3.