Writing apparatus

In a program-controlled lettering and drawing device of the type having a control unit connected by an electrical cable to an operating unit which comprises a housing having a keyboard for choosing the symbols to be written and a writing part, the improvement wherein said writing part comprises a writing pen which extends exteriorly of said housing and is movable by a writing arm over a space external to a longitudinal edge of said housing and also between a rest position and a writing position, wherein said writing part further comprises motor means mounted inside said housing selectively to move said pen over said space in longitudinal and transverse coordinate directions to correspond to symbols there to be drawn, wherein said housing further comprises means for an attachment to the symbol head of a drafting machine, and said motor means further comprises first and second motors (15, 25), which are arranged stationary, relative to each other, and respectively drivingly are connected to crossing longitudinal and transverse guide tracks (6, 16) which extend through a slide bearing body (28) which joins said two guide tracks in the area where they cross, wherein said writing arm (4) is attached at a proximate end to said slide bearing body and extends transversely to a distal end where said writing pen (5) is held, said arm being movable transversely by said second motor (25) along a first movable guide track (6) that itself is movable in the longitudinal coordinate direction by said first motor (15), wherein said arm is movable longitudinally by said first motor (15) over a second guide track (16) that itself is movable in the transverse direction by said second motor (25), wherein further said arm is supported by and transversely slideable within a guide bearing (8) that is slideably engaged for longitudinal movement upon a slide rail (10) which is situated longitudinally with respect to the transverse extension of the writing arm (4), wherein said guide bearing is disposed between the proximate and distal ends of said arm.