The valve control device has a cam shaft (14) driven by the crank shaft as well as a valve drive transfer device with ram element (13) which has a component part engaging during braking into the valve drive transfer device and interacting with the brake cam (16). The component part is preferably a displaceable ram cylinder (17) enclosing a piston (18) of the ram element which interacts with the gas change valve cam (15). The piston has on the side facing the gas change cam a radius with centre axis running parallel to the cam shaft axis.
