Abstract: A drawing machine carriage has a horizontal carriage which is driven on a rizontal guide rail. A vertical guide rail is positioned on this carriage, and a vertical carriage which supports a drawing head is driven on the vertical guide rail. Brakes for the horizontal carriage are activated by an operational element through a transmission. The operational element is located on the vertical carriage. To achieve ease of operation of the operational element and of the vertical carriage by the application or non-application of the brakes of the horizontal carriage and without the continuous stress of wear by the force of the braking mechanism, the operational element, by means of the transmission, shifts the brakes out of the unbraking neutral position and into a releasably retained braking position, whereby the tension on the operational element and the transmission are released in the neutral position and the braking position.