Needle machine

Abstract

A needle-making machine (1) according to the invention comprises at least one needle bar (4, 4') with a plurality of needles (8, 8'), at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') with a plurality of bristles (26, 26') configured to interact with the plurality of needles (8, 8'), and a first and a second guide device (10, 12) extending between the at least one needle bar (4, 4') and the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24'), between which a space (14) is formed through which a textile sheet (2) can be guided. The first and the second guide devices (10, 12) have a plurality of first and second passage openings (34, 36) for the passage of the plurality of needles (8, 8').

Description

The present invention relates to a needle-punching machine for needle-punching a textile fabric, such as a fiber web, a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric or a laid fabric. Needle knitting machines are generally known and are described, for example, in Fuchs and Albrecht: “Nonwovens”, Wiley-VCH Verlag Weinheim, 2nd edition 2012 or also in Albrecht, Fuchs, Kittelmann: “Nonwovens”, Wiley-VCH Verlag Weinheim, 2000. Typically, a needle-punching machine receives a textile fabric at an inlet and conveys it in a specific direction to a needle-punching zone. Within this zone, a needle bar assembly is provided, comprising at least one needle bar with a needle board mounted on it. This board is equipped with numerous needles for bonding the textile fabric. The numerous needles bond the fabric by being inserted into and withdrawn from it at high frequency via a vertical stroke. Multiple needle bars can also be arranged in series along the conveying direction, and / or needle bars can be positioned above and below the textile fabric. Various types of needle-punching machines are known to those skilled in the art, including those in which the multitude of needles are moved along with the textile fabric during the consolidation process by means of a horizontal stroke in the conveying direction. Guide devices for the textile fabric, such as hold-down plates and needle plates, have slot-shaped openings to allow the horizontal stroke of the numerous needles when they engage with the textile fabric. Particularly in the area of ​​these slot-shaped openings, which extend parallel to the conveying direction and whose dimensions parallel to the conveying direction can be significantly larger than the diameter of the needles, the multitude of needles can push the textile fabric into and through the openings. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable with longitudinal pile fabrics.Pressing the textile fabric into and through the openings can lead to stretching of the textile fabric and thus to an undesired pattern in the form of longitudinal stripes, which can adversely affect the strength of the needled fabric. The present invention is therefore based on the objective of providing a needle-making machine which enables the production of a particularly uniform textile surface structure, especially at high production speeds. This problem is solved by the subject matter of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims. A needle-punching machine according to the invention for needle-punching a textile fabric comprises at least one needle bar arranged in a needle-punching zone of the machine and at least one brush arrangement arranged in the needle-punching zone. The at least one needle bar is equipped with a plurality of needles and is configured to perform an oscillating stroke movement. The at least one brush arrangement has a plurality of bristles and is configured to interact with the plurality of needles. Furthermore, the needle-punching machine comprises a first guide device and a second guide device extending through the needle-punching zone between the at least one needle bar and the at least one brush arrangement, wherein a gap is formed in the needle-punching zone between the first guide device and the second guide device, through which the textile fabric can be guided in a conveying direction.To allow the numerous needles to pass through, the first guiding device has a plurality of first passage openings, and the second guiding device has a plurality of second passage openings. In this way, a needle-punching machine is provided in which the numerous bristles provide additional support to the textile fabric during the needling process, particularly in the area of ​​the first and second through-holes. This prevents stretching of the textile fabric in the area of ​​the through-holes and the resulting patterning in the form of longitudinal stripes or weakening of the textile fabric. Horizontal stroke of the needles and the extraction of individual fibers from the textile fabric through the through-holes by means of notches on the numerous needles are possible to a desired extent, while the textile fabric is simultaneously reliably supported in the area of ​​the through-holes. Consequently, the hardened textile fabric exhibits a particularly uniform shape and high transverse strength. In a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the plurality of needles of the at least one needle bar is immersed through the first guide device and the second guide device into the plurality of bristles of the at least one brush arrangement when the at least one needle bar is at a first reversal point. By immersing the needles in the plurality of bristles, the textile fabric is supported particularly reliably by the bristles during needling and is deformed as little as possible or not at all. The needle machine can comprise a hold-down plate and a needle plate through which the plurality of needles pass. Preferably, the hold-down plate and the needle plate comprise or are formed by the first and second guide devices. For example, the first guide device is arranged on the same side of the textile fabric as the at least one needle bar and is configured to hold the textile fabric in place and allow it to be stripped from the needles when the plurality of needles is withdrawn from the textile fabric. The second guide device can be arranged on the opposite side of the textile fabric and is configured to support the textile fabric and prevent deformation of the textile fabric when the plurality of needles is inserted into and through the textile fabric. The oscillating stroke of the at least one needle bar has at least one movement component parallel to an insertion direction and preferably a movement component parallel to the conveying direction. More precisely, the oscillating stroke of the at least one needle bar can be such that the plurality of needles have at least a first movement component parallel to an insertion direction. This allows the plurality of needles to be inserted into and withdrawn from the textile fabric. The insertion direction is preferably perpendicular to the conveying direction, preferably substantially vertical, and particularly perpendicular to a surface of the textile fabric. The first and second guide devices are arranged parallel to the insertion direction and spaced apart from each other to form the space for receiving the textile fabric. The oscillating stroke of the at least one needle bar has at least one movement component parallel to a piercing direction and preferably a movement component parallel to the conveying direction. More precisely, the oscillating stroke of the at least one needle bar can be such that the plurality of needles have at least a first movement component parallel to a piercing direction. This allows the plurality of needles to move along with the textile fabric during their engagement. The superposition of the movement components parallel to the piercing direction and parallel to the conveying direction preferably results in a substantially circular or elliptical trajectory of the plurality of needles. The needle-punching machine preferably comprises a drive unit for driving the at least one needle bar, which is also referred to as the first drive unit. The first drive unit can, in a known manner, comprise at least one main shaft on which at least one main connecting rod is eccentrically mounted, the main connecting rod being coupled to the at least one needle bar. A rotary drive motion of the at least one main shaft can thereby be converted into an oscillating stroke motion of the needle bar with the first motion component parallel to the needle-punching direction. The second motion component can, for example, be generated by an auxiliary shaft on which at least one auxiliary connecting rod is eccentrically mounted and coupled to the at least one needle bar.A rotary drive motion of the auxiliary shaft can thus be converted into an oscillating lifting motion with the second motion component parallel to the conveying direction. Other possibilities for generating the second motion component are known to those skilled in the art and can also be applied. For example, another main shaft can be provided on which at least one further main connecting rod is eccentrically mounted and coupled to the at least one needle bar. The second motion component can then result from a rotation of the main shafts in the same direction or a rotation of the main shafts in opposite directions with phase adjustment. If the at least one needle bar is located at the first reversal point, the multitude of needles is partially arranged in the space between the first and second guide elements. In principle, the needle tips of the multitude of needles could be located in this space, with the multitude of bristles of the brush arrangement also extending into this space, so that the multitude of needles are immersed in the bristles. Preferably, however, the needle tips of the multitude of needles are arranged on the side of the space opposite the needle bar when the at least one needle bar is located at the first reversal point. Consequently, the needles pass completely through the first guide element, the space, and the second guide element, and thus through the entire textile structure.At least at the first turning point, at least part of the multitude of needles is immersed in the multitude of bristles of the at least one brush arrangement. If at least one needle bar is located at a second reversal point, the multitude of needles is arranged entirely outside the space between them. The multitude of needles is therefore not engaged with the textile structure. Consequently, the multitude of needles is located within the textile structure at the first reversal point, is pulled out of the textile structure during a movement from the first reversal point to the second reversal point, and is inserted into the textile structure during a movement from the second reversal point to the first reversal point. When needles of the plurality of needles are immersed in the plurality of bristles of the at least one brush arrangement, the needle tips are positioned between the bristles. Preferably, each needle of the plurality of needles that is immersed in the at least one brush arrangement is in contact with surrounding bristles of the plurality of bristles. This ensures that fibers which are captured and carried along by the needles during their stroke are held taut by the surrounding bristles as the needles are immersed or penetrate the plurality of bristles. In principle, at least one brush arrangement, e.g. in the form of a brush belt, can only be moved parallel to the conveying direction, in particular with a conveying speed that essentially corresponds to the conveying speed of the textile surface structure. In a preferred embodiment, however, the at least one brush arrangement is configured to perform an oscillating stroke movement, in particular simultaneously with the oscillating stroke movement of the at least one needle bar. This allows the multitude of needles and the multitude of bristles to work together when desired to support the fibers, while the textile surface structure is otherwise not affected by the at least one brush arrangement. The oscillating stroke movement of the at least one brush arrangement preferably has at least one movement component perpendicular to the conveying direction. More precisely, the oscillating stroke movement of the at least one brush arrangement can be such that the plurality of bristles have at least one first movement component parallel to the insertion direction. This allows the bristles to come into contact with the plurality of needles. Preferably, the oscillating stroke movement of the at least one brush arrangement has a movement component parallel to the conveying direction. More precisely, the oscillating stroke movement of the at least one brush arrangement can be such that the plurality of bristles have at least a second movement component parallel to the conveying direction. This allows the plurality of bristles to move additionally parallel to the conveying direction to minimize distortion of the textile fabric. The superposition of the movement components parallel to the insertion direction and parallel to the conveying direction preferably results in a substantially circular or elliptical movement path of the plurality of bristles. The needle machine preferably comprises a drive unit for driving the at least one brush assembly, which is also referred to as the second drive unit. The second drive unit can be designed analogously to the first drive unit, wherein the at least one brush assembly is mounted and driven in accordance with the at least one needle bar. For example, the second drive unit comprises at least one second main shaft and at least one second main connecting rod, which is mounted eccentrically on the second main shaft and coupled to the at least one brush assembly. It is further advantageous if a portion of the multitude of bristles of the at least one brush assembly contacts the bristles of the first and second guide devices that are located closer to the at least one brush assembly or are located on the same side of the gap as the at least one brush assembly. This reliably supports the textile fabric, particularly in the area of ​​the openings, and effectively prevents the textile fabric from being forced into and through the openings. If the at least one brush assembly is configured to perform the oscillating stroke movement, the portion of the multitude of bristles contacts the second guide device at least when the at least one brush assembly is at a first reversal point. If the tips of the multitude of bristles merely contact the second guide device but do not penetrate the gap, the textile fabric is affected as little as possible by the at least one brush arrangement, thus minimizing distortion. Preferably, however, the tips of the multitude of bristles of the at least one brush arrangement are arranged in the gap, particularly if this arrangement is oscillating and located at its first reversal point. Due to the oscillating movement, the tips of the multitude of bristles are also positioned slightly before and after the first reversal point in the gap. This provides particularly reliable support for the textile fabric, as the bristles come into early contact with the needles and hold the textile fabric in place, even if they yield slightly under the applied pressure. To minimize the impact on the textile surface, the multitude of bristles extends into the gap by a length that preferably corresponds to a maximum of one-quarter, more preferably a maximum of one-fifth or one-sixth of the free distance between the first and second guide elements. The length by which the multitude of bristles extends into the gap can be, for example, between 0.5 mm and 4 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. The free distance between the first and second guide elements can be, for example, between 0.5 mm and 25 mm, preferably between 1 mm and 20 mm, more preferably between 2 mm and 15 mm. In principle, the length by which the multitude of bristles extends into the gap can be adjustable. If the at least one brush assembly is configured to perform the oscillating stroke movement, the movement preferably occurs between the first reversal point and a second reversal point. When the at least one brush assembly is at the first reversal point, bristles contact the second guide element and are preferably partially arranged in the space between the first and second guide elements. When the at least one brush assembly is at the second reversal point, the plurality of bristles are arranged outside the space. The reversal points of the at least one needle bar and the at least one brush arrangement are defined as the points where the respective oscillating stroke movement has a peak, i.e., where it alternates between an upward movement and a downward movement. Preferably, bristles of the at least one brush arrangement contact the second guide device and are preferably partially arranged in the space between the first and the second guide device when the plurality of needles passes through the second openings. This ensures that the textile fabric is supported at the point in time when the needles could otherwise push and stretch it into the openings. The movement of the at least one needle bar and the at least one brush assembly are preferably coordinated. For example, the at least one needle bar and the at least one brush assembly can move synchronously, thus passing through their reversal points essentially simultaneously. However, the at least one needle bar and the at least one brush assembly can also pass through their reversal points offset from each other, thereby allowing the timing and duration of their contact to be adjusted. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second guide devices are arranged in a stationary position. This allows for a simple design of the needle-stitching machine and reliable guidance of the textile fabric. In an alternative embodiment, the second guide device can be coupled to the at least one brush assembly in such a way that the second guide device and the at least one brush assembly are oscillating. This allows the textile fabric to be needle-punched with minimal distortion, as it is not constantly moved relative to the stationary second guide device. For example, the at least one brush assembly and the second guide device are mounted on a common support that can be driven in an oscillating manner. In this embodiment, the second guide device is preferably designed as a needle plate. Preferably, in this embodiment, the at least one needle bar and the first guide device are arranged below the at least one brush assembly and the second guide device.The textile fabric can then be supported during transport through the needle-punching zone by the first guide device, which is preferably arranged in a stationary position. The at least one brush arrangement preferably comprises a plurality of brushes, each of which has a plurality of bristles. This allows the brush arrangement to be flexibly configured, for example, with regard to the number and arrangement of the plurality of brushes relative to one another. Each brush of the plurality of brushes preferably comprises a base element to which a plurality of bristles are attached, for example, by the base element having a plurality of openings into which a tuft of bristles is each inserted. Preferably, all needles of the plurality of needles of the at least one needle bar are assigned to the plurality of brushes. In other words, all needles of the plurality of needles each engage a brush of the plurality of brushes when the at least one needle bar is at the first reversal point. In this way, it can be ensured that all needles of the plurality of needles interact with the at least one brush arrangement to retain the fibers of the textile fabric in the space between. The at least one brush arrangement can, for this purpose, comprise brushes throughout the entire needling zone. The brush arrangement thus extends across the entire needling zone both parallel to the conveying direction and parallel to a transverse direction defined perpendicular to the conveying direction and the insertion direction. In an alternative embodiment, only a portion of the plurality of needles of the at least one needle bar engages the at least one brush arrangement, and only this portion of the needles is assigned to the plurality of brushes. For this purpose, the at least one brush arrangement can comprise brushes only in a portion of the needling zone. In this case, the plurality of needles can therefore include needles that do not engage a brush of the plurality of brushes when the at least one needle bar is at the first reversal point. This allows the use of the at least one brush arrangement to be limited to areas where it is particularly advantageous, while other areas remain unaffected by the at least one brush arrangement and can, for example, be needled on both sides. In principle, the majority of brushes can be arranged in at least one row that is oriented obliquely or perpendicular to the conveying direction. For example, in this case, the majority of brushes can be provided in an entry area and / or an exit area of ​​the needle-punching zone, in particular parallel to the transverse direction across the entire working width. Additionally or alternatively, the majority of brushes can be arranged in at least one row aligned parallel to the conveying direction. For example, in this case, the majority of brushes can be positioned in the edge regions of the needling zone, particularly parallel to the conveying direction across the entire needling zone. Uneven needling or lower transverse strength has a particularly negative impact in the edge regions of the textile fabric. This can be counteracted by providing the majority of brushes in these areas. In general, the at least one brush arrangement can comprise at least one receiving device in which a series of brushes, or a plurality of brushes, is held. The brushes can be slidably held in the receiving device. Preferably, the at least one brush arrangement further comprises a clamping device, in particular a fluid-actuated clamping device, which is configured to fix the series of brushes in the receiving device. This allows the plurality of brushes to be precisely positioned and aligned and easily fixed in the desired position. The fluid-actuated clamping device is particularly well suited for fixing the plurality of brushes because it is simple in design and operation and can be easily integrated into the needle machine.The brushes of the majority of the brushes are preferably arranged in a row one behind the other in the holding device, extending parallel to the transverse direction. For further details of the clamping device, reference is made to EP 4 202 099 A1. The at least one brush arrangement preferably comprises a plurality of receiving units, wherein the receiving units are preferably arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. Each receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units then receives a plurality of brushes arranged in a row. For example, the at least one brush arrangement can comprise two, three, four, or five receiving units. All features and advantages described herein with respect to the receiving unit are analogously transferable to the plurality of receiving units. The clamping device is preferably pneumatically actuated. For example, the clamping device can be actuated using compressed air, which allows for a particularly simple and cost-effective implementation. However, the use of other gases is also conceivable, as is the design of the clamping device as a hydraulically actuated clamping device, which is actuated by means of a hydraulic fluid. In a preferred embodiment, the clamping device is configured to exert a holding force on the plurality of brushes and / or the receiving device, at least parallel to the insertion direction. The holding force secures the brushes, at least in the insertion direction, and can act directly on the brushes and / or the receiving device. Particularly preferably, the clamping device secures the plurality of brushes in the receiving device by positive locking parallel to the insertion direction and by frictional locking in the conveying direction and / or in the transverse direction.The clamping device can be adjustable between an actuated and an unactuated state. Preferably, the majority of brushes are movable in the unactuated state of the clamping device for insertion, positioning, and removal, and are fixed in the receiving device in the actuated state. Preferably, the clamping device comprises at least one clamping element that is expanded in the actuated state compared to the unactuated state. The clamping device is preferably actuated by the at least one clamping element being vented in the unactuated state and pressurized in the actuated state. Pressurizing the at least one clamping element can be achieved by supplying fluid, in particular compressed air. Preferably, the at least one clamping element is therefore connectable to a fluid source, for example, a pump.A particularly simple design of the at least one clamping element is made possible if the at least one clamping element is designed as a hose, in particular as a compressed air hose. A space-saving design and the most direct possible force application can be achieved by integrating at least one clamping element into the receiving device. With multiple receiving devices, preferably at least one clamping element is integrated into each device. Uniform force transmission and the prevention of jamming can be achieved if two clamping elements, for example, two hoses, are integrated into the receiving device. The receiving device preferably comprises a first and a second receiving element, which are opposite each other in the conveying direction and between which the clamping device and the plurality of brushes are located. The bristles of the brushes extend out of the receiving device, preferably between the first and the second receiving element. A longitudinal direction of the first and the second receiving element is preferably aligned parallel to the transverse direction, and the first and the second receiving element form a guide parallel to the transverse direction for the plurality of brushes. Preferably, each of the two receiving elements comprises a support section on which an edge region of the base elements of the brushes rests. In a preferred embodiment, the first and the second receiving element are each substantially C-shaped. One leg of each receiving element then forms the respective support section. To achieve particularly good consolidation of the textile fabric, it is preferred that the multitude of needles extends through the entire gap when the at least one needle bar is at the first reversal point. In other words, the needle tips of the multitude of needles pass through the first guide device into the gap and emerge again through the second guide device. It is preferred that bristles of the at least one brush assembly are located in the second passage openings of the second guide device, which is arranged on the same side of the gap as the at least one brush assembly. The bristles preferably completely fill the majority of the second passage openings. This provides particularly good support for the textile surface structure in the area of ​​the second passage openings. The majority of first and second passage openings are designed to allow the passage of the multitude of needles through the first and second guide devices. The majority of first and second passage openings preferably extend further parallel to the conveying direction than parallel to the transverse direction. This enables the second movement component of the multitude of needles to move parallel to the conveying direction while they are engaged with the textile fabric. Since bristles are preferably located in the majority of second passage openings, the textile fabric is also supported in the area of ​​the second passage openings, even though the dimension of the second passage openings parallel to the conveying direction is significantly larger than the diameter of the multitude of needles. To enable the densest possible arrangement of the numerous needles, the first guiding device preferably comprises a plurality of tensioned first wires and / or the second guiding device preferably comprises a plurality of tensioned second wires. The plurality of first wires are preferably spaced apart from one another. The first through-holes are then formed between the first wires. The plurality of second wires are preferably spaced apart from one another. The second through-holes are then formed between the second wires. The first wires and the second wires are each spaced apart in a direction parallel to the transverse direction. Preferably, the plurality of first wires and the plurality of second wires extend parallel to the conveying direction, at least in the needling zone. This optimizes the guidance of the textile fabric in the needling zone.For further details of the plurality of first wires, the plurality of second wires and the guide devices formed by them, reference is made to EP 3 896 207 A1. The first and second passage openings are therefore formed by spaces between adjacent wires. Preferably, the first passage openings between the first wires and / or the second passage openings between the second wires have a width parallel to the transverse direction of between 0.5 mm and 10.0 mm, more preferably between 0.7 mm and 6.0 mm, and even more preferably between 0.8 mm and 2.0 mm. Preferably, the first wires in the needle-punching zone are arranged in a first plane, and the second wires in the needle-punching zone are arranged in a second plane, the first plane and the second plane being defined parallel to the conveying direction and parallel to the transverse direction, respectively. The first guide, comprising the majority of first wires, can thus form a hold-down plate, and the second guide, comprising the majority of second wires, can thus form a needle plate, or vice versa. By using a large number of first and second wires, a very dense arrangement of the numerous needles can be achieved, as the space required between the needles for the first and second guides can be minimized. The numerous needles are then arranged in rows parallel to the majority of first and second wires, preferably parallel to the conveying direction. An offset arrangement of the needles is not possible. In some applications, particularly with longitudinal piles, this can lead to stretching of the textile fabric between the wires and thus to an undesirable patterning of the textile fabric in the form of longitudinal stripes, which negatively affects the transverse strength of the textile fabric.This stretching and the resulting undesirable patterning can be minimized or completely prevented by providing at least one brush arrangement, so that the advantages of the brush arrangement are particularly evident in this embodiment. The majority of first and second wires are preferably fixed within the needle-punching machine. Particularly preferably, the majority of first wires and the majority of second wires are arranged in a stationary position, at least in the conveying direction. This prevents the first and second wires from moving, and the textile fabric slides along the first and second guide elements formed by the first and second wires through the needle-punching zone. However, it is conceivable that the spacing of the majority of first wires and the spacing of the majority of second wires can be adjusted in the transverse direction and / or that the majority of first and second wires can be tensioned parallel to the conveying direction. For example, the number of first wires and the number of second wires can each be at least 250, preferably at least 400, more preferably at least 500 wires per meter of working width. In all embodiments, the majority of first wires and the majority of second wires are preferably metal wires, in particular steel wires, which are preferably stainless. The wires of the majority of first wires and / or the majority of second wires can generally have a diameter between 0.4 mm and 2.0 mm, more preferably between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm, and even more preferably between 0.6 mm and 1.2 mm. Preferably, the multitude of needles are arranged in rows. Particularly preferably, the needle rows extend parallel to the conveying direction. If the first guide assembly comprises the majority of first wires and the second guide assembly the majority of second wires, preferably a needle row is arranged between two adjacent first wires and two adjacent second wires when the at least one needle bar is located at the first reversal point. This enables a very dense arrangement of the needles and thus a particularly uniform needling. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of needles is arranged at a density of at least 500 needles / dm², more preferably at least 1,000 needles / dm², and even more preferably at least 1,200 needles / dm². Such a needle density results in a particularly uniform stitch pattern. In a preferred embodiment, the needle machine comprises a plurality of needle modules. Each needle module includes a module carrier and several needles from the plurality of needles, which are attached to the module carrier, in particular inserted or injected into it. Preferably, the needle modules are mounted on a needle board, which in turn is attached to the at least one needle bar. The arrangement of the needles in needle modules has the advantage that individual needle modules can be replaced if defective needles are present, and the needle modules can be slidably arranged on the needle board, thus allowing for variable design of the stitch pattern and the needle board configuration. Furthermore, the slidability of the needle modules allows for compensation of cumulative tolerances and prevents collisions of the needles with the first and second guide devices. In principle, it is preferred if the first and second guide devices in the needle-punching zone define a transport plane parallel to the conveying direction, in which the textile fabric can be moved through the needle-punching zone. If the first guide device comprises the majority of first wires and the second guide device the majority of second wires, the transport plane is preferably parallel to the first plane, in which the first wires are preferably arranged, and to the second plane, in which the second wires are preferably arranged. The insertion direction is preferably perpendicular to the transport plane. The at least one needle bar and the first guide device are preferably arranged on a first side of the transport plane, and the at least one brush arrangement and the second guide device are preferably arranged on a second side of the transport plane opposite the first side. Various configurations of the needle machine are conceivable. For example, in a first embodiment, the at least one needle bar can be arranged above the transport plane and the at least one brush arrangement below the transport plane, or in a second embodiment, the at least one needle bar can be arranged below the transport plane and the at least one brush arrangement above the transport plane. Particularly uniform needling can be further promoted by needling the textile fabric from both above and below. In this case, it is preferred that the at least one needle bar comprises a first needle bar and a second needle bar, and that the at least one brush arrangement comprises a first brush arrangement and a second brush arrangement. The first needle bar is preferably arranged above the first brush arrangement or above the first and second guide devices to needle the textile fabric from above. Parallel to the conveying direction, the second needle bar is preferably arranged below the second brush arrangement or below the first and second guide devices to needle the textile fabric from below. Preferably, the first needle bar and the second brush assembly are coupled to each other, for example by means of a first bridge, and the first brush assembly and the second needle bar are coupled to each other, for example by means of a second bridge. The first drive unit described above can be coupled to the first bridge and thus to the first needle bar and the second brush assembly. The second drive unit described above can be coupled to the second bridge and thus to the first brush assembly and the second needle bar. In an alternative embodiment, the first needle bar and the second needle bar can be arranged on the same side of the transport plane and coupled together, and the first brush arrangement and the second brush arrangement can be arranged on the same side of the transport plane opposite the first and second needle bars and coupled together. It is preferred that the first guide device and the second guide device each extend continuously through the needle-punching zones defined by the first needle bar and the second needle bar. In other words, in one embodiment, the first guide device is associated with the first needle bar and the second brush assembly, and the second guide device is associated with the first brush assembly and the second needle bar. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 schematically shows the structure of a needle machine in a side view. Fig. 2 schematically shows a needle-punching zone of a needle machine according to the invention in a side view. Fig. 3 schematically shows a section of the needle-punching zone according to Fig. 2 in a perspective view. Fig. 4 schematically shows a detail view of a needle bar of the needle machine according to the invention in a side view. Fig. 5 schematically shows a detail view of a brush arrangement of the needle machine according to the invention in a side view. Fig. 6 schematically shows a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a brush arrangement of the needle machine according to the invention. Fig. 7 schematically shows a detail view of a section of the needle-punching zone according to Fig.Fig. 2 shows a needle bar and brush assembly of the needle-punching machine in a first state. Fig. 8 schematically shows a detailed view of a section of the needle-punching zone according to Fig. 2 with the needle bar and brush assembly of the needle-punching machine in a second state. Fig. 9 schematically shows a detailed view of a section of the needle-punching zone according to Fig. 2 with the needle bar and brush assembly of the needle-punching machine in a third state. Figure 1 schematically illustrates the basic structure of a needle-punching machine 1. A textile fabric 2, such as a nonwoven web, is fed into the needle-punching machine 1 at an inlet and conveyed in a conveying direction F to a needle-punching zone V. In the area of ​​the needle-punching zone V, the needle-punching machine 1 comprises at least one needle bar 4 with an attached needle board 6, which is equipped with a plurality of needles 8 for bonding the textile fabric 2. If required, several needle bars 4 can be arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F, positioned above and / or below the textile fabric 2. The needle-punching machine 1 further comprises a first guide device 10, here for holding down the textile fabric 2, and a second guide device 12, here for supporting the textile fabric 2. At least in the needle-punching zone V, a gap 14 is formed between the first guide device 10 and the second guide device 12, through which the textile fabric 2 is guided in the conveying direction F. The multitude of needles 8 compacts the textile fabric 2 by means of an oscillating stroke motion performed by the at least one needle bar 4. This causes the needles 8 to be inserted into and withdrawn from the textile fabric 2 at a high frequency. The multitude of needles 8 exhibits at least a first movement component in an insertion direction E, which is oriented perpendicular to the surface of the textile fabric 2 and to the conveying direction F. The multitude of needles 8 passes through first openings in the first guide device 10 and through second openings in the second guide device 12, as described in more detail with reference to Figures 3 and 7 to 9. The resulting product is a compacted textile fabric 22. As shown in Fig. 1, a drive device 16 is preferably provided for moving the plurality of needles 8 up and down in the insertion direction E, which is, for example, designed as a connecting rod drive in a known manner. The drive device 16 can therefore comprise at least one main shaft 18 on which a main connecting rod 20 is eccentrically mounted and coupled to the at least one needle bar 4. To prevent distortions from forming in the textile fabric 2 while the plurality of needles 8 are located in the textile fabric 2 and the fabric continues to move in the conveying direction F, the plurality of needles 8 in a preferred embodiment of the needle machine 1 can have a second movement component parallel to the conveying direction F, which is superimposed on the first movement component in the insertion direction E. In particular, while the plurality of needles 8 are inserted into the textile fabric 2, the plurality of needles 8 is moved along with the textile fabric 2 to minimize relative movement between the plurality of needles 8 and the textile fabric 2. To effect the second movement component, either an auxiliary drive (not shown) acting on the needle bar 4 or needle board 6 can be provided, or the drive unit 16 can be designed accordingly.The needle bar 4 is coupled in a specific manner, as is known to those skilled in the art. It is understood that the present invention can be applied to different types of needle machines and is not limited to the embodiment of needle machine 1 described herein. Fig. 2 shows the needle-punching zone V of an exemplary embodiment of a needle-punching machine 1 according to the invention in greater detail. The needle-punching machine 1 comprises at least one brush assembly 24 arranged in the needle-punching zone V, which is also referred to as the first brush assembly 24 and which has a plurality of bristles 26. As can be seen in Fig. 2 and described in more detail with reference to Figs. 7, 8 to 9, preferably at least a portion of the plurality of needles 8 of the needle bar 4, which is also referred to as the first needle bar 4, passes through the first guide device 10 and the second guide device 12 into the plurality of bristles 26 of the first brush assembly 24 when the first needle bar 4 is in a first reversal point. The first and the second guide devices 10, 12 extend between the first needle bar 4 and the first brush assembly 24 through the needle-punching zone V. In the illustrated embodiment, the needle-punching machine 2 comprises a first needle bar 4, which needles the textile fabric 2 from above, and a second needle bar 4', which is also equipped with a plurality of needles 8' and which needles the textile fabric 2 from below. The first needle bar 4 and the second needle bar 4' are arranged offset from each other in the conveying direction F. In addition to the first brush arrangement 24, the needle-punching machine 2 also comprises a second brush arrangement 24', which likewise has a plurality of bristles 26' into which the plurality of needles 8' of the second needle bar 4' are inserted. The first needle bar 4 is thus arranged above the first and second guide devices 10, 12 and the first brush arrangement 24, and the second needle bar 4' is arranged below the second brush arrangement 24' and the first and second guide devices 10, 12. The first needle bar 4 and the second brush assembly 24' can be connected to each other via a first bridge 28, which in turn can be coupled to the first drive unit 16. The first brush assembly 24 and the second needle bar 4' can be connected to each other via a second bridge 28', which in turn is coupled to a second drive unit (not shown). The second drive unit can be designed analogously to the first drive unit 16. The first and second guide units 10, 12 extend through the entire needle-pinning zone V. The first and second guide devices 10, 12 are stationary and allow the passage of the multiple needles 8, 8', but hold the textile fabric 2 in the space 14 during the piercing and withdrawal of the needles 8, 8'. Accordingly, in the area of ​​the first needle bar 4, the first guide device 10 forms a hold-down and the second guide device 12 a needle plate. In the area of ​​the second needle bar 4', the first guide device 10 forms a needle plate and the second guide device 12 a hold-down. In Fig. 3, a guide device representing the first guide device 10 and the second guide device 12 shown in Figs. 2 and 7 to 9 is shown schematically in a perspective view. In this preferred embodiment, the first guide device 10 comprises a plurality of tensioned first wires 30, and the second guide device 12 comprises a plurality of tensioned second wires 32. The first wires 30 are spaced apart from each other, such that the first passage openings 34 are formed between them, and the second wires 32 are spaced apart from each other, such that the second passage openings 36 are formed between them. The plurality of needles 8, 8' can pass through the first and second passage openings 34, 36, which extend parallel to the conveying direction F. Since the majority of the first and second wires 30, 32 can be very thin, the needles 8, 8' can be arranged very close together. Preferably, the needles 8, 8' are arranged in rows that are aligned parallel to the majority of the first and second wires 30, 32. As can be seen in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, in a preferred embodiment, the needles 8, 8' are provided in the form of needle modules 38, each needle module 38 comprising a module carrier 40 and several needles 8, 8' which are received in the module carrier 40 and firmly connected to it. The at least one brush arrangement 24, 24' preferably comprises a plurality of brushes 42a-i, each of which includes a base element 44 to which a plurality of bristles 26, 26' are attached, as shown in Figures 5-9. The bristles 26, 26' can be provided as tufts on the base element 44, in particular inserted into it, with only a portion of the tufts shown for clarity. The brushes 42 of the plurality of brushes 42a-i can be arranged relative to one another in different ways as required. Figure 6 shows exemplary arrangements of the plurality of brushes 42a-i of the brush arrangement 24, 24' in a top view. In principle, each needle 8, 8' of the plurality of needles 8, 8' can be assigned to and interact with a brush 42 of the plurality of brushes 42a-i. The brush arrangement 24, 24' can then include brushes 42a-i in the entire needle-punching zone V, as indicated in Fig. 6 including the dashed lines.These brushes 42a-i can, for example, be arranged in several rows corresponding to the rows of needle modules 38. The brushes 42a-i are arranged side by side in a row parallel to the transverse direction Q, with several rows of brushes 42a-i arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. However, it is also conceivable that the majority of brushes 42a-i are arranged only in certain areas of the needling zone V. For example, it may be sufficient that brushes 42 are provided only in the edge regions of the textile fabric 2 and thus of the needling zone V, as illustrated in Fig. 6 by brushes 42a, 42b, 42c, 42d and 42e. Additionally or alternatively, brushes 42 can be provided in an entry region V1 and / or in an exit region V2 of the needling zone V across the entire working width of the needling zone V, as illustrated in Fig. 6 by brushes 42a, 42f, 42g, 42h. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it is generally preferred that the majority of needle modules 38 and the majority of brushes 42 are designed such that they are mounted on a needle bar 4, 4' of the needle machine 1 in an analogous manner. In this way, each needle bar 4, 4' can be selectively equipped with needles 8, 8', brushes 42, or a combination thereof. For this purpose, receiving devices 46 can be provided, each of which receives a plurality of needle modules 38 (Fig. 4) and / or a plurality of brushes 42 (Fig. 5). The receiving devices 46 each comprise a first and a second substantially C-shaped receiving element 48a, 48b, each having a support section 50a, 50b on which the edge regions of the needle modules 38 and the brushes 42 rest. The needle modules 38 and the brushes 42 can be slidably held in the receiving devices 46 parallel to the transverse direction Q. To fix the needle modules 38 and the brushes 42 after their positioning, a fluid-actuated clamping device is preferably provided, which exerts a holding force at least parallel to the insertion direction and, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a first clamping element 52 and a second clamping element 54 in the form of compressed air hoses, which are received in the receiving devices 46.When the clamping device is actuated, the first and second clamping elements 52, 54 are filled with compressed air, causing them to expand and exert a holding force on the needle modules 38 and the brushes 42, respectively. The interaction of the multitude of needles 8 and the at least one brush arrangement 24 is described below with reference to Figs. 7, 8 to 9. This applies analogously to all further needles 8' or needle bars 4' and brush arrangements 24'. The textile fabric 2 is conveyed in the conveying direction F through the space 14 between the first guide device 10 and the second guide device 12 and through the needle-punching zone V. In Fig. 7, the needle bar 4 with the plurality of needles 8 is located at a reversal point, here at the upper reversal point, as can be seen from the path of motion B1, and the plurality of needles 8 is located outside the space 14. In this embodiment, the brush assembly 24 also performs an oscillating stroke movement and is initially located at a reversal point, here at the lower reversal point, as can be seen from the path of motion B2, whereby the bristles 26 of the brush assembly 24 are not arranged in the space 14. The needle bar 4 and the brush arrangement 24 perform a stroke movement, preferably simultaneously, whereby the plurality of needles 8 and the brush arrangement 24 are moved in the direction of the textile surface structure 2, as shown in Fig. 8. In the illustrated state, here at approximately half the stroke, the needles 8 already penetrate the first passage openings 34 of the first guide device 10, while the brush arrangement 24 is still spaced apart from the second guide device 12. As the lifting motion continues, the multitude of needles 8 enter the textile fabric 2 through the first openings 34, and also pass through the textile fabric 2 and the second openings 36 of the second guide device 12. The multitude of bristles 26 preferably already rest against the second guide device 12 when the multitude of needles 8 pass through the second openings 36. In Fig. 9, the needle bar 4 with the multitude of needles 8 is at its other reversal point, here the lower reversal point, and the brush arrangement 24 is at its other reversal point, here the upper reversal point. Since the second passage openings 36, which allow the horizontal stroke, have a dimension parallel to the conveying direction F that is significantly larger than the diameter of the needles 8, the needles 8 can press the textile fabric 2 into and through the second passage openings 36. To prevent this, the brush assembly 24 is now arranged at its reversal point such that the plurality of needles 8 pass through the first and second guide devices 10, 12 and into the plurality of bristles 26 of the brush assembly 24. This supports the textile fabric 2 with the bristles 26 and holds it in the space 14. It is preferred that the bristles 26 of the brush assembly 24 penetrate only into the second passage openings 36 and not into the space 14, or only to a limited extent, in order to avoid undesirably affecting the textile fabric 2. The lifting movements of the needle bar 4 and the brush assembly 24 continue according to the paths of motion B1, B2 until they are back in their starting position as shown in Fig. 7. It is understood that the paths of motion B1, B2 can be adjusted in their shape as well as in their spacing or overlap, for example by the respective drive unit. The present invention therefore provides a needle machine in which a particularly high quality of the solidified textile fabric can be achieved regardless of the dimension of the passage openings of the first and second guide devices and especially also with a very dense arrangement of the needles. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature EP 4 202 099 A1

[0036] EP 3 896 207 A1

[0046] Cited non-patent literature Nonwovens”, Wiley-VCH Verlag Weinheim, 2nd edition 2012

[0002]

Claims

Needle machine (1) for needle-punching (8, 8') a textile fabric (2), wherein the needle machine (1) comprises: at least one needle bar (4, 4') arranged in a needle-punching zone (V) of the needle machine (1), which is equipped with a plurality of needles (8, 8') and is configured to perform an oscillating stroke movement; at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') arranged in the needle-punching zone (V), which has a plurality of bristles (26, 26') and is configured to interact with the plurality of needles (8, 8'); and a first guide device (10) and a second guide device (12) extending through the needle-punching zone (V) between the at least one needle bar (4, 4') and the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24'), wherein a space (14) is provided in the needle-punching zone (V) between the first is trained in the command unit (10) and the second command unit (12),through which the textile surface structure (2) can be guided in a conveying direction (F), wherein the first guide device (10) has a plurality of first passage openings (34) and the second guide device (12) has a plurality of second passage openings (36) for the passage of the plurality of needles (8, 8'). Needle machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a part of the plurality of needles (8, 8') of the at least one needle bar (4, 4') is immersed through the first guide device (10) and the second guide device (12) into the plurality of bristles (26, 26') of the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') when the at least one needle bar (4, 4') is in a first reversal point. Needle machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') is configured to perform an oscillating stroke movement which has at least one movement component perpendicular to the conveying direction (F). Needle machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one needle bar (4, 4') and the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') are each configured to perform an oscillating stroke movement which has a movement component parallel to the conveying direction (F). Needle machine (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that a part of the plurality of bristles (26, 26') of the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') contacts the one from the first guide device (10) and the second guide device (12) that is arranged closer to the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') when the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') is in a first reversal point. Needle machine (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the tips of the plurality of bristles (26, 26') of the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') are arranged in the space (14) when the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') is in the first reversal point. Needle machine (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the second guide device (12) is coupled to the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') in such a way that the second guide device (12) is movable in an oscillating manner with the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24'). Needle machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first guide device (10) and the second guide device (12) are arranged in a stationary manner. Needle machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') comprises a plurality of brushes (42a-i), each of which has a plurality of bristles (26, 26'), wherein all needles (8, 8') of the plurality of needles (8, 8') of the at least one needle bar (4, 4') of the plurality of brushes (42a-i) are assigned. Needle machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') comprises a plurality of brushes (42a-i), each of which has a plurality of bristles (26, 26'), wherein only a part of the needles (8, 8') of the plurality of needles (8, 8') of the at least one needle bar (4, 4') is immersed in the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') and only this part of the needles (8, 8') is assigned to the plurality of brushes (42a-i). Needle machine (1) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the plurality of brushes (42a-i) are arranged in at least one row which is oriented obliquely or perpendicularly to the conveying direction (F). Needle machine (1) according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the plurality of brushes (42a-i) are arranged in at least one row which is aligned parallel to the conveying direction (F). Needle machine (1) according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') further comprises: at least a receiving device (46) in which a series of brushes (42a-i) of the plurality of brushes (42a-i) is received, and a fluid actuated clamping device (52, 54) which is configured to fix the series of brushes (42a-i) in the receiving device (46). Needle machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of needles (8, 8') extends through the entire space (14) when the at least one needle bar (4, 4') is at the first reversal point. Needle machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first guide device (10) has a plurality of tensioned first wires (30) which are spaced apart from each other and between which the first passage openings (34) are formed, and / or the second guide device (12) has a plurality of tensioned second wires (32) which are spaced apart from each other and between which the second passage openings (36) are formed. Needle machine (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that the plurality of needles (8, 8') are arranged in rows of needles which extend parallel to the conveying direction (F), and each row of needles is arranged between two adjacent first wires (30) and two adjacent second wires (32) when the at least one needle bar (4, 4') is in the first reversal point. Needle machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first guide device (10) and the second guide device (12) define a transport plane parallel to the conveying direction (F) in the needle-punching zone (V), in which the textile fabric (2) can be moved through the needle-punching zone (V), wherein the at least one needle bar (4, 4') and the first guide device (10) are arranged on a first side of the transport plane and the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') and the second guide device (12) are arranged on a second side of the transport plane opposite the first side. Needle machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one needle bar (4, 4') comprises a first and a second needle bar (4, 4') and the at least one brush arrangement (24, 24') comprises a first and a second brush arrangement (24, 24'), wherein the first needle bar (4) is arranged above the first brush arrangement (24) and the second needle bar (4') is arranged below the second brush arrangement (24') parallel to the conveying direction (F).

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