HOLDER PLATE AND STITCH PLATE FOR A NEEDLE MACHINE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a hold-down plate and a stitch plate for a needle machine for needle-stitching a textile fabric, such as a nonwoven, woven or laid fabric.

[0002] Needle knitting machines are generally known and are described, for example, in Lünenschloß and Albrecht: "Vliesstoffe", Georg-Thieme-Verlag Stuttgart, 1982, pp. 122 to 129 or also in Albrecht, Fuchs, Kittelmann: "Vliesstoffe", Wiley-VCH Verlag Weinheim, 2000, pp. 270 ff.

[0003] When needle-punching textile fabrics, especially nonwovens, it is desirable to achieve the most uniform needle-punching possible without creating patterns in the textile fabric.

[0004] FR 2 878 262 A1 discloses a hold-down plate for holding a nonwoven fabric in a needle-punching machine, the recesses of which are arranged in a herringbone pattern. The hold-down plate can have lamellae and crossbars, with openings arranged between the lamellae and the crossbars. Furthermore, this document discloses that the recess arrangements can be arranged obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate. Additionally, two recess arrangements can be arranged obliquely to a longitudinal direction that corresponds to a conveying direction of the nonwoven fabric to be needle-punched in the needle-punching machine.

[0005] FR 3 026 113 A1 discloses a needle-punching machine comprising a hold-down plate for holding down a nonwoven fabric and a table. It is further shown that the hold-down plate can also be corrugated. Needles can be guided through openings.

[0006] DE 43 20 035 A1 discloses a needle machine with a hold-down plate or a needle plate having a plurality of recesses, each of which is designed to receive several needles of a needle row of a needle board. The individual recesses are arranged in rows side by side and one behind the other. The needles in each recess are arranged slightly offset from one another.

[0007] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a hold-down plate and a stitch plate for a needle machine as well as a needle machine with which a uniform textile surface structure is produced by means of needling, even with a large feed-per-stroke ratio or over a larger feed range of the needle machine.

[0008] This problem is solved by the subject matter of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0009] By varying the angle of the first and second recess arrangements relative to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or needle plate, it is possible to arrange the needle rows of the needle board of the needle machine at different angles to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or needle plate. The resulting uneven distribution of needles in the needle board prevents the formation of patterns in the needled fabric in the vast majority of cases, even at high feed speeds of the textile fabric in the needle machine. At the same time, a suitably designed hold-down plate or needle plate prevents the needle board needles from pulling individual fibers or fiber bundles unduly far out of the textile fabric or from separating them entirely.A suitably designed needle plate also enables the needles to fully penetrate the textile surface structure in order to achieve the most continuous reorientation and thus homogeneous needling of the surface structure, without colliding with the needle plate supporting the textile surface structure in the needle area.

[0010] The recesses in the majority of recess arrangements are elongated. This means that the length of a recess arrangement is greater than its width. Furthermore, each recess arrangement extends lengthwise along a longitudinal axis, and the angle of the recess arrangement to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or punch plate is defined between the longitudinal axis of the recess arrangement and an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or punch plate.

[0011] It is preferred that each recess arrangement of the plurality of recess arrangements accommodates a plurality of the needles of a needle row of the needle board. The recess arrangements of the plurality of recess arrangements can each also accommodate all the needles of a needle row. This formulation includes, firstly, that the at least one recess completely penetrates the hold-down plate or the needle plate and that the needles of the needle board can pass through the at least one recess. Secondly, it also includes that the at least one recess does not completely penetrate the needle plate, but forms a recess with a bottom. Such a recess has a sufficient depth so that the needles of the needle board can penetrate the textile fabric and enter the at least one recess.

[0012] According to the invention, recess arrangements of the plurality of recess arrangements each comprise a plurality of recesses, wherein each recess of the plurality of recesses of a recess arrangement is formed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or punch plate, and the recesses of a recess arrangement are arranged in a row that runs obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or punch plate.

[0013] The recesses of the majority of recesses are each elongated, such that their longitudinal axis extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate. Simultaneously, the recesses of the majority of recesses in a recess arrangement are offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate, and in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate, such that the recesses form a row along the longitudinal axis of the respective recess arrangement, oriented obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate. This means that a predefined point of each recess, namely the center point of each recess, is located on the longitudinal axis. Each recess of the majority of recesses in a recess arrangement is designed to receive a needle from a row of needles on the needle board.

[0014] Because each recess in the plurality of recesses of a recess arrangement is formed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or needle plate, the length of the recesses is essentially freely selectable and can enable a desired horizontal stroke of the needles regardless of the angle of the respective recess arrangement to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or needle plate. The width of the recesses can always be kept small to ensure the proper retention or stripping of the fibers from the needles.

[0015] According to the invention, the recess arrangements of the plurality of recess arrangements are arranged in a plurality of blocks, wherein all recess arrangements of a block of the plurality of blocks are arranged parallel to one another. Each block of the plurality of blocks comprises a plurality of recess arrangements, wherein these recess arrangements form a row. The blocks of the plurality of blocks are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the punch plate.

[0016] To further homogenize the stitch pattern in the needled textile fabric, the rows of needles, and thus the majority of the blocks of holes, are arranged in a herringbone pattern. This means that the holes of the individual blocks are positioned obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or stitch plate, such that the angle of the holes of one block to the longitudinal direction has a specific sign (positive or negative), and the angle of the holes of a block immediately following it in the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or stitch plate has the opposite sign (negative or positive). The angles of the holes of successive blocks have different values.

[0017] It has proven preferable if the angle of the first recess arrangements to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate is between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, preferably between 15 degrees and 25 degrees, and particularly preferably between 17 degrees and 23 degrees.

[0018] It has also proven advantageous if the angle of the second recess arrangement to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or punch plate is between 25 degrees and 65 degrees, preferably between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, and particularly preferably between 42 degrees and 48 degrees.

[0019] A needle row in a needle board typically contains between 5 and 40 needles. The needles in a row can be connected to each other, forming a needle module that is arranged in a slot in the needle board. The length of a recess arrangement in most recess arrangements preferably corresponds to the length of a needle row and is therefore dependent on the number of needles per row in the needle board and the needle spacing within a row.

[0020] The width of at least one recess in a recess arrangement of the plurality of recess arrangements is preferably large enough to reliably prevent collisions between the needles and the hold-down plate or needle plate, even at very high stroke rates of, for example, more than 1,500 strokes per minute. At the same time, the width is sufficiently small to ensure that fibers adhering to the needles of the needle board are stripped by the hold-down plate or needle plate. The width of a recess thus depends essentially on the needle diameter and the fiber diameter. The width of the at least one recess is preferably a maximum of 12 mm, more preferably a maximum of 8 mm, and more preferably a maximum of 6 mm.

[0021] It has also been shown that distortion within the textile fabric can be further reduced if the needles of a needle board perform a horizontal stroke. This means that the needles execute a stroke movement in the conveying direction of the fabric being needled, while remaining at least partially within the textile fabric. This minimizes relative movement between the fibers of the fabric and the needles in the conveying direction, and thus the risk of distortion. The at least one recess in most recess arrangements therefore extends a predetermined distance parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate and is designed to allow a predetermined horizontal stroke of the needle board needles.

[0022] The extent of a recess parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate is greater than the desired or predetermined value of the horizontal stroke of the needles of the needle board. In particular, in addition to the horizontal stroke, the needle diameter and a sufficient tolerance must be taken into account to prevent collisions between the needles and the hold-down plate or the needle plate.

[0023] The at least one recess of the plurality of recess arrangements must be long enough to extend by the predetermined amount parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the punch plate.

[0024] If the majority of recess arrangements are designed according to the invention, the at least one recess preferably has a length whose amount corresponds at least to the predetermined amount.

[0025] Inventive recess arrangements make it possible to increase both the angle of the respective recess arrangement and the predetermined amount of the extension in the longitudinal direction of the hold-down plate or the needle plate, and thus the possible horizontal stroke of the needles, while maintaining the same width.

[0026] It has proven particularly effective when the horizontal stroke of the needles of the needle board, and thus the predetermined amount of the extension of the at least one recess of the plurality of recess arrangements parallel to the longitudinal direction, is between 2 and 12 mm, preferably between 4 and 8 mm.

[0027] It is understood that this also includes all intermediate values, preferably in steps of 0.5 mm.

[0028] A needle machine according to the invention for needle-punching a textile fabric comprises a needle board having a plurality of rows of needles arranged obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the needle board, which corresponds to a conveying direction of the fabric to be needle-punched in the needle machine, and a hold-down plate and / or a needle plate as previously described.

[0029] In this way, a needle machine is provided that exhibits the previously described features and delivers the aforementioned advantages.

[0030] Finally, it is preferred that each recess arrangement of the plurality of recess arrangements is aligned with a row of needles of the plurality of needle rows of the needle board in order to allow each recess of the respective recess arrangement to receive a needle of the needle row of the needle board.

[0031] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of the essential components of a needle machine; Fig. 2 shows a top view of a section of a hold-down plate or needle plate according to the invention; and Fig. 3 shows a detailed view of the hold-down plate or needle plate according to Fig. 2 .

[0032] In Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the 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 to a needle zone. Within the needle zone, a needle bar 4 with an attached needle board 6 is arranged, which is equipped with needles 8 for compacting the fabric 2. In this area, the textile fabric 2 to be needle-punched is guided between a hold-down plate 10, which holds the fabric 2 down, and a needle plate 12, which supports the fabric 2 within the needle zone. The needles 8 compact the fabric 2 by being inserted into and withdrawn from it at high frequency. The needles 8 typically pass through openings in the hold-down plate 10 and the needle plate 12.The needle plate 12 can also have recesses that do not penetrate it completely, but are only deep enough to accommodate the tips of the needles 8 passing through the surface structure 2. A drive 14, preferably designed as a connecting rod drive, is preferably provided for moving the needles 8 up and down in a stitching direction E.

[0033] To prevent distortions from forming in the fabric structure 2 while the needles 8 are located within it and the fabric structure continues to move in a conveying direction F, in a preferred embodiment of a needle-making machine 1, the needle board 6 with the needles 8 performs a horizontal stroke H parallel to the conveying direction F. The needle board 6 with the needles 8 is movable in the conveying direction F together with the textile fabric structure 2. In particular, while the needles 8 are embedded in the textile fabric structure 2, they move along with the fabric structure 2 to minimize relative movement between the needles 8 and the fabric structure 2. To effect the horizontal stroke H, either an auxiliary drive acting on the needle board 6 can be provided, or the drive 14 can be designed accordingly or coupled to the needle bar 4 in a specific manner, as is already known to those skilled in the art.

[0034] The resulting product is a solidified textile fabric 16, for example, a nonwoven. Various types of needle-punching machines 1 are known to those skilled in the art, including double-needle machines in which needles are punched from above and below by means of two needle bars, or needle-punching machines with and without a horizontal stroke. It is understood that the present invention can be applied to different types of needle-punching machines and is not limited to the embodiment of a needle-punching machine 1 described herein. For example, in double-needle machines, the needle plate 12 simultaneously forms a hold-down plate for a needle bar arranged below the fabric 2.

[0035] The needles 8 of a needle board 6 are typically arranged in rows of between 5 and 40 needles. The rows of needles are preferably arranged obliquely to a longitudinal direction of the needle board 6 that extends parallel to the conveying direction F of the surface structure 2 in the needle machine 1.

[0036] The recesses in the hold-down plate 10 correspond, particularly with regard to their arrangement and, if applicable, also with regard to their design, preferably to the recesses in the needle plate 12. The present invention can therefore be applied equally to a hold-down plate 10 and a needle plate 12 based on the information provided in the Fig. 2 and 3 The illustrated excerpts of the same will be explained.

[0037] The Fig. 2 and 3 Each shows a section of a hold-down plate 10 or stitch plate 12 according to the invention, wherein the section is shown according to Fig. 3 for example, the one in Fig. 2 corresponds to the section marked with reference III.

[0038] The hold-down plate 10 or the needle plate 12 has a plurality of recess arrangements 18. Each recess arrangement 18 comprises at least one recess 20 and is designed to receive needles 8 of a needle row of the needle board 6 of the needle machine 1. Furthermore, at least the first and second recess arrangements 181, 182 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18 are arranged obliquely to a longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate 10 or the needle plate 12, which corresponds to the conveying direction F of the surface structure 2 to be needled in the needle machine 1. The magnitude of an angle β of the second recess arrangements 182 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18 to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate 10 or the needle plate 12 differs from the magnitude of the angle α of the first recess arrangements 181 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18 to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate 10 or the needle plate 12.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, all recess arrangements 18 are configured either as first or second recess arrangements 181, 182. As explained at the outset, however, any other recess arrangements 18 can also be provided.

[0040] The recess arrangements 18 have a length A1 and a width B1, where the length A1 is greater than the width B1, so that the recess arrangements 18 are elongated. Furthermore, the recess arrangements 18 extend along their length A1 along a longitudinal axis 22, which defines a longitudinal direction L2 of the respective recess arrangement 18. The angles α, β of the majority of recess arrangements 18 with respect to the longitudinal direction L1 of the hold-down plate 10 or the die plate 12 are defined between the respective longitudinal axis 22 and a line parallel to the longitudinal direction L1.

[0041] The recess arrangements 18 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18 can be configured in a variety of ways. Firstly, in addition to first recess arrangements 181 and second recess arrangements 182, which differ in the angle between their respective longitudinal axis 22 and the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12, third and further recess arrangements can also be provided, extending at a further angle to the longitudinal direction L 1, different from the angles α and β. Secondly, the recess arrangements 18, including the first recess arrangements 181, the second recess arrangements 182, or optional further recess arrangements, can be configured according to one of the embodiments described below.

[0042] According to a first embodiment not according to the invention, a recess arrangement 18 comprises a single recess 20, which is arranged obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. This recess 20 is then formed continuously along the longitudinal axis 22 of the recess arrangement 18, the longitudinal axis 22 being oriented at an angle obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. Fig. 2 and 3 The second recess arrangements 182 are designed according to the first embodiment. Preferably, the recess 20 has a length A 2 which corresponds to the length A 1 of the respective recess arrangement 18 and which is suitable for receiving a row of needles 8 of the needle board 6 of the needle machine 1.

[0043] In Fig. 3 Two recesses 201 and 202 of a recess arrangement 18 according to a second, non-inventive embodiment are shown as examples. Such a recess arrangement 18 comprises a plurality of recesses 20 or 201, 202, wherein each recess 20, 201, 202 is arranged obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. Furthermore, the recesses 20, 201, 202 of this recess arrangement 18 are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction L 2 of the recess arrangement 18 or along its longitudinal axis 22.

[0044] The recesses 201, 202 are each elongated and have a longitudinal axis. Preferably, the recesses 201, 202 are aligned with each other such that their longitudinal axes are aligned. Preferably, the longitudinal axes of the recesses 201, 202 also coincide with the longitudinal axis 22 of the respective recess arrangement.

[0045] The recesses 20 or 201, 202 according to a recess arrangement 18 of the second embodiment preferably have a length suitable for receiving at least one needle and preferably a larger part of the needles 8 of a row of needles of the needle board 6.

[0046] Recess arrangements 18 according to a third embodiment of the invention each comprise a plurality of recesses 20, each of which is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. Furthermore, the recesses 20 of a recess arrangement 18 of the third embodiment are arranged in a row that runs obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12.

[0047] In the Fig. 2 and 3The first recess arrangements 181 are designed according to the third embodiment. The longitudinal axis 23 of each of these recesses 20 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the recesses 20 are offset from one another both in the longitudinal direction L 1 and in the transverse direction Q 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12 such that they form a row along the longitudinal axis 22 of the respective recess arrangement 18.

[0048] Preferably, the recesses 20 of a recess arrangement 18 according to the third embodiment are dimensioned such that they each accommodate one needle 8 of a needle row of the needle board 6. However, the recesses 20 can also be dimensioned such that they accommodate two of the more adjacent needles 8 of a needle row or needles of several needle rows arranged one behind the other.

[0049] A hold-down plate or stitch plate 10, 12 according to the invention can comprise recess arrangements of only one of these embodiments, or can also comprise any combination of recess arrangements 18 of different embodiments, which have at least the third embodiment.

[0050] According to the invention, the recess arrangements 18 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18 are arranged in a plurality of blocks 24, 26. The recess arrangements 18 of a block 24, 26 are arranged parallel to one another and form a series of recess arrangements 18 extending in the transverse direction Q 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. Thus, the blocks 24, 26 are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. In the transverse direction Q 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12, the blocks 24, 26 can extend over the entire width of the respective hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12 or only over partial sections thereof.

[0051] According to the embodiment according Fig. 2 and 3The recess arrangements 18 of blocks 24, 26 are arranged in a herringbone pattern. The angle of all recess arrangements 18 of a block 24, 26 to the longitudinal direction L 1 has a specific sign (positive or negative) that is the opposite of the sign (negative or positive) of the angle of all recess arrangements 18 of a block 24, 26 adjoining it in the longitudinal direction L 1. The recess arrangements 18 of consecutive blocks 26 and 26 or 24 and 24 have the same magnitude of this angle, while the recess arrangements 18 of consecutive blocks 24 and 26 have different magnitudes of the angle.

[0052] During the Fig. 2 and 3The depicted hold-down plate or die plate 10, 12 comprises a first block 24 with first recess arrangements 181 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18, and a second block 26 with second recess arrangements 182 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18. Furthermore, the recess arrangements 18, 181 of the first block 24 are configured according to the third embodiment, while the recess arrangements 18, 182 of the second block 26 are configured according to the first embodiment. Various combinations, which at least exhibit the third embodiment, are conceivable here as alternatives.

[0053] Regardless of the embodiment of a recess 20, it has a width B 2 which must be large enough to reliably prevent a collision between the at least one needle 8 to be accommodated in this recess 20 and the hold-down plate or needle plate 10, 12 in the area of ​​this recess 20. The width B 2 of a recess 20 is therefore larger than the diameter of a needle 8 to be accommodated. At the same time, the width B 2 of a recess 20 is small enough to ensure that any fibers caught on the needles 8 are removed by the hold-down plate or needle plate 10, 12.

[0054] To enable a horizontal stroke H of the needle board 6 or the needles 8, the at least one recess 20 of the plurality of recess arrangements 18 extends by a predetermined amount X parallel to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or needle plate 10, 12 and is configured to allow the predetermined horizontal stroke H of the needles 8. This provides the needles 8 with sufficient freedom of movement in the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or needle plate 10, 12, and thus in the conveying direction F of the textile fabric 2, to perform a horizontal stroke H.

[0055] It follows that the amount X of the extension parallel to the longitudinal direction L 1 should be greater than the desired or predetermined value of the horizontal stroke H of the needles 8.

[0056] The recesses 20 of the majority of recess arrangements 18 must be long enough to extend by the predetermined amount X parallel to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12.

[0057] In recess arrangements 18 according to the first and second embodiments, the recesses 20 are oriented obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. The magnitude X of the extent of a recess 20 in the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12 therefore depends on the width B 2 of the respective recess 20. The length A 2 of the recess, on the other hand, is less restrictive with respect to the magnitude X, but must also be taken into account, particularly in the second embodiment.

[0058] As the in Fig. 3As can be seen from the detailed view of a recess 20 of a recess arrangement of the second embodiment, a minimum width B 2 is proportional to the angle α, β between the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12 and the longitudinal axis 22 of the respective recess arrangement 18, with the predetermined value X. The mathematical ratio between the angle α or β, the width B 2 and the value X is: sin α β = B 2 / X

[0059] Accordingly, a minimum width B 2 for a desired predetermined value X is obtained by multiplying the sine of the respective angle α, β by the value X. Conversely, a maximum angle can be determined from this ratio at which a maximum permissible width is still achievable for a predetermined value X.

[0060] It is evident that with an increasing magnitude of the angle α, β, the necessary width B 2 of a recess 20 increases in order to achieve the same predetermined magnitude X of the longitudinal extent L 1 of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12. Since, above a certain width B 2 of a recess 20, e.g., a width greater than 6 mm, the function of the hold-down plate or punch plate 10, 12 is not reliably fulfilled in every case, the maximum magnitude X of the longitudinal extent L 1 of the recesses 20 of the recess arrangements 18 achievable with the recess arrangements 18 according to the first and second embodiments is limited.

[0061] In order to allow larger amounts X of extension in longitudinal direction L 1 or larger angles α, β of the recess arrangements 18 to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or tap plate 10, 12, the recesses 20 of the recess arrangements 18 can therefore be designed according to the third embodiment.

[0062] The recesses 20 of the recess arrangements 18 according to the third embodiment of the invention extend parallel to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or needle plate 10, 12. Their suitability for enabling a horizontal stroke H of the needles 8 in the conveying direction F is therefore essentially determined by the length A 2 of the recesses 20. The length A 2 of a recess 20 thus corresponds at least to the predetermined amount X of the extension in the longitudinal direction L 1. This allows the recesses 20 to be designed narrowly, i.e., with a small width B 2, while at the same time their length A 2 can be adapted to the desired horizontal stroke H.

[0063] Since the various recesses 20 of a recess arrangement 18 according to the third embodiment are arranged simultaneously along the longitudinal axis 22 of the recess arrangement 18, which in turn is oriented obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 of the hold-down plate or needle plate 10, 12, it is also made possible that the associated row of needles of the needle board 6 is also arranged obliquely to the longitudinal direction L 1 or to the conveying direction F of the textile fabric 2 of the needle machine 1 in order to obtain a textile fabric 16 that is needled as uniformly as possible.

Claims

1. A hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) for holding down or supporting a textile fabric (2) in a needling machine (1) for needling the textile fabric (2), wherein the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) has a plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182), wherein at least the first and second cavity arrangements (181, 182) of the plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) are arranged inclined in relation to a longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12), which corresponds to a conveying direction (F) of the fabric (2) to be needled in the needling machine (1), wherein each cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) of the plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) comprises a respective plurality of cavities (20), and is set up to accommodate needles (8) of a needle row of a pinboard (6) of the needling machine (1), wherein each cavity (20) of the plurality of cavities (20) is designed parallel to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12), and extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) by a predefined amount (X), and is thus set up to enable a predefined horizontal stroke (H) of needles (8) of a pinboard (6), wherein the cavities (20) are oblong in design, so that their longitudinal axis extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or the stitch plate (12), and wherein the cavities (20) of a cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) are arranged in a row along a longitudinal axis of the respective cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) that runs inclined in relation to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12), wherein a midpoint of each cavity (20) of the respective cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) is arranged on the longitudinal axis of the respective cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182); wherein the cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) of the plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) are arranged in a plurality of blocks (24, 26), wherein all cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) of a block (24, 26) of the plurality of blocks (24, 26) are arranged parallel to each other, and the plurality of blocks (24, 26) of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) are arranged in a herringbone pattern; wherein an amount of the angle (β) of the second cavity arrangements (182) of the plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) differs from an amount of the angle (α) of the first cavity arrangements (181) of the plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12), wherein the angle (α, β) of the first and second cavity arrangements (181, 182) is always the smaller of the two cutting angles between the longitudinal axis of a cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) and the parallel to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12).

2. The hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the amount of the angle (α) of the first cavity arrangements (181) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) measures between 10° and 30°, preferably between 15° and 25°, especially preferably between 17° and 23°.

3. The hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amount of the angle (β) of the second cavity arrangements (182) in relation to the longitudinal direction (L1) of the hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) measures between 25° and 65°, preferably between 30° and 60°, especially preferably between 42° and 48°.

4. The hold-down plate (10) or stitch plate (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the predetermined amount (X) measures between 2 and 12 mm, preferably between 4 and 8 mm.

5. A needling machine (1) for needling a textile fabric (2), with: a pinboard (6), which has a plurality of needle rows, of which at least a portion is arranged inclined to a longitudinal direction (L1) of the pinboard (6), corresponding to a conveying direction (F) of the fabric (2) to be needled in the needling machine (1); and a hold-down plate (10) and / or a stitch plate (12) according to one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The needling machine (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that each cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) of the plurality of cavity arrangements (18, 181, 182) is aligned to a needle row of the plurality of needle rows of the pinboard (6), so as to allow each cavity (20, 201, 202) of the respective cavity arrangement (18, 181, 182) to receive one needle (8) of the needle row.