Gripper for holding workpieces, in particular preforms or containers

A gripper for holding a neck region of a preform or a container, the gripper comprising a gripper base on which two gripper arms are pivotably arranged, wherein:

• each of the two gripper arms has a gripping end for partially enclosing the neck region of the preform or the container;
• the two gripper arms are held in a base position under spring tension;
• the gripping ends of the two gripper arms are configured to jointly enclose and hold the neck region and, if the gripping ends come into contact with an obstacle, are configured to pivot out of the base position jointly in one direction;
• a first one of the two gripper arms is a main arm and a second one of the two gripper arms is a secondary arm;
• the main arm is clamped via a spring with the gripper base, which pulls the main arm into contact with the secondary arm in the base position;
• the main arm and the secondary arm are each mounted in respective joints;
• the joint of the secondary arm is closer to its gripping end than the joint of the main arm is to its gripping end;
• the main arm and the secondary arm press against one another in a closed position in at least in two regions;
• one of the at least two regions is located above the joint of the secondary arm;
• and
• a second one of the at least two regions is located below the joint of the secondary arm on a lever of the secondary arm extending downward from the joint of the secondary arm.