Actuator for a parking brake

The operating mechanism for a parking brake has a ratchet segment (16) mounted with predetermined play in a socket (17) in an operating rod (7) so that the ratchet (10) in a locked position is fixed on the segment by the socket. With pivoting of the handbrake lever (2) the ratchet is guided along a toothed quadrant (11), whereby the operating rod is decoupled by the ratchet's movement induced by contact with the toothed quadrant through movement of the ratchet segment in the socket.