To stabilize the running of a rapier band and prolong the life of the rapier band.

This picking apparatus is obtained by arranging positional regulating rollers 17 and 18 near boundaries K1 and K2 between a stretching range E and a nonstretching rage H without stretching a rapier band 12, securing positional regulating units 21 and 22 of a flat platy form to a supporting plate 16 near the boundaries K1 and K2, forming windows 211 and 221 in the positional regulating units 21 and 22 and bringing positional regulating peripheral surfaces 172 and 182 of the positional regulating rollers 17 and 18 through the windows 211 and 221 into contact with the rapier band 12 and protruding the positional regulating peripheral surfaces 172 and 182 of the positional regulating rollers 17 and 18 slightly from guide surfaces 212 and 222.