Abstract: Pile fabric is produced by needling in an ornamental pattern a pile layer of loose fibers through the back or nonvisible side of a fabric backing web which is intermittently passed with its back side up through a series of needling stations comprising needles disposed in a particular arrangement to form the fibers into the backing web in a predetermined pattern. A feed duct including a discharge port extending across the fabric web transversely of its feed direction is arranged to deliver fibers onto the back side of the web at a point upstream from the needling station. A suction duct located downstream from the needling station draws loose fibers from the back side of the web through an inlet port which extends across the web transversely of the feed direction.