PURPOSE: To grasp a steel material quickly by one-touch motion in whichever attitude the steel material is laid.

CONSTITUTION: A gripping device 1 for steel material such as H-steel is installed at the foremost of a working machine such as a steel material handling machine, and a clamp table 2 having an upper and a lower griping surface 2a, 2b is provided ahead of the base part 1a of the gripping device 1. The first and second links 5, 6 rotatable round fulcra 3, 4 are installed on the clamp table 2, and the ends of these links 5, 6 are coupled with the two end of the same gripping cylinder 7 by pins 8, 9.