A tong or clamp apparatus for picking up an object, comprising:- (a) a first member having a first elongate arm at a front end thereof and a first wall at a rear end or towards the rear end of the first elongate arm; and (b) a second member having a second elongate arm at a front end thereof and a second wall at a rear end or towards the rear end of the second elongate arm and pivotably connected with and movable relative to said first member; (c) a ball bearing wherein: (i) said first wall includes a first bulge defining a first groove at an inwardly facing side thereof, and said second wall includes a second bulge defining a second groove at an outwardly facing side thereof; (ii) one of the first and the second grooves (30 or 34) is generally elongate in shape, and the other groove is generally elongate in shape but having a substantially widened end; (iii) the grooves (30, 34) are positioned such that the first and the second grooves (30, 34) together define a channel for accommodating the ball bearing; (iv) the ball bearing is movable along the channel in response to the orientation of said apparatus; (v) said apparatus is adapted to assume a first configuration in which said ball bearing is positioned at one end of the channel or a second configuration in which said ball bearing is positioned at the opposite end of the channel, in that in one of the two configurations said walls (16, 20) and hence said arms are (8, 10) prevented from moving relative to each other by said ball bearing and in the other configuration said walls (16, 20) and hence said arms (8, 10) are movable relative to each other; and (vi) in the configuration when said walls (16, 20) are movable relative to each other said ball bearing is located at the widened end of the groove (30 or 34) or in the configuration when said walls (16, 20) are immovable relative to each other said ball bearing is located at the end of the groove (30 or 34) opposite to the widened end. (a) a first member having a first elongate arm at a front end thereof and a first wall at a rear end or towards the rear end of the first elongate arm; and (b) a second member having a second elongate arm at a front end thereof and a second wall at a rear end or towards the rear end of the second elongate arm and pivotably connected with and movable relative to said first member; (c) a ball bearing wherein: (i) said first wall includes a first bulge defining a first groove at an inwardly facing side thereof, and said second wall includes a second bulge defining a second groove at an outwardly facing side thereof; (ii) one of the first and the second grooves (30 or 34) is generally elongate in shape, and the other groove is generally elongate in shape but having a substantially widened end; (iii) the grooves (30, 34) are positioned such that the first and the second grooves (30, 34) together define a channel for accommodating the ball bearing; (iv) the ball bearing is movable along the channel in response to the orientation of said apparatus; (v) said apparatus is adapted to assume a first configuration in which said ball bearing is positioned at one end of the channel or a second configuration in which said ball bearing is positioned at the opposite end of the channel, in that in one of the two configurations said walls (16, 20) and hence said arms are (8, 10) prevented from moving relative to each other by said ball bearing and in the other configuration said walls (16, 20) and hence said arms (8, 10) are movable relative to each other; and (vi) in the configuration when said walls (16, 20) are movable relative to each other said ball bearing is located at the widened end of the groove (30 or 34) or in the configuration when said walls (16, 20) are immovable relative to each other said ball bearing is located at the end of the groove (30 or 34) opposite to the widened end. (i) said first wall includes a first bulge defining a first groove at an inwardly facing side thereof, and said second wall includes a second bulge defining a second groove at an outwardly facing side thereof; (ii) one of the first and the second grooves (30 or 34) is generally elongate in shape, and the other groove is generally elongate in shape but having a substantially widened end; (iii) the grooves (30, 34) are positioned such that the first and the second grooves (30, 34) together define a channel for accommodating the ball bearing; (iv) the ball bearing is movable along the channel in response to the orientation of said apparatus; (v) said apparatus is adapted to assume a first configuration in which said ball bearing is positioned at one end of the channel or a second configuration in which said ball bearing is positioned at the opposite end of the channel, in that in one of the two configurations said walls (16, 20) and hence said arms are (8, 10) prevented from moving relative to each other by said ball bearing and in the other configuration said walls (16, 20) and hence said arms (8, 10) are movable relative to each other; and (vi) in the configuration when said walls (16, 20) are movable relative to each other said ball bearing is located at the widened end of the groove (30 or 34) or in the configuration when said walls (16, 20) are immovable relative to each other said ball bearing is located at the end of the groove (30 or 34) opposite to the widened end.