Coiler apparatus and method

A coiler apparatus for forming flat coils of textile strands from an upstream strand supply and depositing the coils on a moving conveyor belt for transport downstream to a strand processing station, comprising:

• (a) a driven rotating arm for forming successive coils of a textile strand received by said rotating arm from the upstream strand supply, said arm mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis;
• (b) a coil-shaping template positioned in strand-receiving relation to said rotating arm and having a downstream-facing tapered annular surface for receiving the strand from said arm and forming the strand into an upright circular coil having an orientation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said rotating arm;
• (c) a coil doffer, comprising:
• (i) a lower coil guide positioned proximate a lower extent of said template for progressively engaging and removing a lower portion of successive ones of said upright coils from said template in advance of an upper portion of said coils and applying the lower portion of each coil successively to said conveyor at a first rate of travel as said coils move downstream along said conveyor;
• (ii) an upper coil guide extending downstream firm said template for guiding the upper portion of each coil off of said template at a second rate of travel less than said first rate of travel as the lower portion of each coil is removed from the template by the lower coil guide for permitting a controlled transition of said coils from their circular, vertical orientation on said template into an array of oval, overlapping coils on said moving conveyor belt.