Patent ID: 8458870

Claim:
Needle for a textile machine, the needle comprising: a felting or fork needle for a felting process, the felting or fork needle comprising: a working section ( 17 ) with a needle point ( 18 ), said working section extending along a longitudinal axis ( 16 ), a lower shank section ( 20 ) adjoining the working section ( 17 ), with an upper shank section ( 25 ) adjoining said lower shank section, wherein the two shank sections ( 20 , 25 ) extend coaxially with respect to each other along the longitudinal axis ( 16 ), and a needle foot ( 30 ) adjoining the upper shank section ( 25 ) and comprising a holding means ( 32 ) that essentially extends in a straight line in a transverse direction ( 31 ) transversely to the longitudinal axis ( 16 ), the holding means shaped to correspond to and engage a groove of a needle board having a bore configured to engage the upper shank section of the needle foot, wherein a diameter (E) of the upper shank section ( 25 ) is both greater than a diameter (D) of the lower shank section ( 2 ) and greater than a mean width of the holding means ( 32 ).