Needling device to consolidate a fleece or web of fibres, in particular nonwoven by needling, comprising: - one or more needle plates (10; 10') having one or more respective fields of needles; - one or more columns (3; 3') with a respective longitudinal axis (11; 11') rigidly connected to the needle plate or to a respective plate; - driving means configured to impart a to and fro motion to each column so that the needles trace an elliptical path to pass in one direction then the other through the fleece or web of fibres moving in front of them in a machine or MD drive direction to consolidate it; - a sealed housing (7; 7') containing a part of the column and its driving means; and - one or more guide pot(s) (4; 4') fitted in a respective opening of the sealed housing so as to oscillate around a respective pin (5; 5'), fixed in relation to the housing (7; 7') and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to the direction MD, the or each column passing through the housing by means of the guide pot or a respective guide pot by sliding therein, and the driving means comprising longitudinal driving means (6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15; 6', 12', 13, 14') configured to impart a to and fro motion to the column or to each column in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis, in particular a vertical only to and fro motion, the driving means also comprising transversal driving means (8; 8', 9') configured to impart at a point (17; 17') of the guide pot or of each guide pot at a distance from its respective oscillation axis (5; 5') a to and fro motion in a direction essentially parallel to the direction MD, the oscillating axis of the pot or of each pot (4; 4') being in the respective opening of the sealed housing which is passed through by the respective (4; 4') pot. - one or more needle plates (10; 10') having one or more respective fields of needles; - one or more columns (3; 3') with a respective longitudinal axis (11; 11') rigidly connected to the needle plate or to a respective plate; - driving means configured to impart a to and fro motion to each column so that the needles trace an elliptical path to pass in one direction then the other through the fleece or web of fibres moving in front of them in a machine or MD drive direction to consolidate it; - a sealed housing (7; 7') containing a part of the column and its driving means; and - one or more guide pot(s) (4; 4') fitted in a respective opening of the sealed housing so as to oscillate around a respective pin (5; 5'), fixed in relation to the housing (7; 7') and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and to the direction MD, the or each column passing through the housing by means of the guide pot or a respective guide pot by sliding therein, and the driving means comprising longitudinal driving means (6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15; 6', 12', 13, 14') configured to impart a to and fro motion to the column or to each column in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis, in particular a vertical only to and fro motion, the driving means also comprising transversal driving means (8; 8', 9') configured to impart at a point (17; 17') of the guide pot or of each guide pot at a distance from its respective oscillation axis (5; 5') a to and fro motion in a direction essentially parallel to the direction MD, the oscillating axis of the pot or of each pot (4; 4') being in the respective opening of the sealed housing which is passed through by the respective (4; 4') pot.