A system (10) for in-line treatment of thread (20) for use with a thread consuming device (15) is provided. The system comprises a treatment unit (100) comprising at least one discharge device (150) being configured to dispense one or more coating substances onto the at least one thread (20) when activated; and a drive unit (32) being configured to move said at least one discharge device (150) between an idle position (42) and an operational position (41) being arranged along an axis of movement (A).

A thread conditioner dispenser is provided as well as a method of conditioning thread. The dispenser has a base with two longitudinally extending sidewalls attached which are joined by two transverse sidewalls. A receptacle for thread conditioning compound is defined interior thereto. Notches are formed in each transverse sidewall. The point on each notch closest to the base defines a saddle point. An adhesive layer is attached to the base such that the dispenser may be removably attached to a solid surface. Thread may be passed through one of the notches and withdrawn through the opposed notch.

A thread conditioner dispenser is provided as well as a method of conditioning thread. The dispenser has a base with two longitudinally extending sidewalls attached which are joined by two transverse sidewalls. A receptacle for thread conditioning compound is defined interior thereto. Notches are formed in each transverse sidewall. The point on each notch closest to the base defines a saddle point. An adhesive layer is attached to the base such that the dispenser may be removably attached to a solid surface. Thread may be passed through one of the notches and withdrawn through the opposed notch.

A system for in-line treatment of at least one thread is provided. The system is configured to be used with a thread consuming device and comprises a treatment unit having a plurality of nozzles arranged at different positions relative the at least one thread, said at least one thread being in motion in use, each nozzle being configured to dispense one or more coating substances onto the at least one thread when activated; and at least one thread engagement device configured to rotate the at least one thread along its longitudinal axis as the at least one thread moves through said treatment unit.

Computerized methods of creating embroidery including capturing embroidery instructions, receiving instructions at an embroidery engine, creating planned patterns of stitches, and outputting instructions for stitching, including instructions for printing colors onto a thread before stitching. Color may be printed in a gradient or gradually faded, for example, from a start color to an end color, or from a start color to an intermediate color and from the intermediate color to an end color. Color may be gradually faded from a start location to an end location or from a start location to an intermediate location and from the intermediate location to an end location. Varying shades of colors may be printed, patterns may be repeated, outlines, segments, and vectors may be used, and intermediate stitch color may be determined based on number of stitches or vector length. Some embodiments allow a user to change embroidery instructions while reapplying unchanged instructions.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge head having a nozzle row, a conveyor is configured to convey a discharge target medium, a head mover configured to move the discharge head in an orthogonal direction, a head rotator configured to rotate the discharge head, and circuitry configured to perform a position setting operation to cause the head mover to move the discharge head to a position in the orthogonal direction, a discharging operation to cause the discharge head to discharge a liquid at the position, a medium conveying operation to cause the conveyor to convey the discharge target medium, and a changing operation to cause the head mover to change the position of the discharge head, and cause the head rotator to rotate the discharge head based on a length of droplets of the liquid landed on the discharge target medium by the above-described operations.

An embroidery apparatus is configured to perform an embroidery operation according to embroidery data. The embroidery apparatus includes a thread assumed consumption amount calculator configured to calculate an assumed consumption amount of a thread in the embroidery operation, based on initial embroidery data input in advance; a thread consumption amount detection mechanism configured to detect an actual consumption amount of the thread; and a thread consumption amount adjuster configured to adjust the actual consumption amount of the thread in the embroidery operation by adjusting output embroidery data to be output, based on a difference between the calculated assumed consumption amount of the thread and the detected actual consumption amount of the thread.

A system for in-line treatment of at least one thread is provided. The system is configured to be used with a thread consuming device and comprises a treatment unit having a plurality of nozzles arranged at different positions relative the at least one thread, said at least one thread being in motion in use, each nozzle being configured to dispense one or more coating substances onto the at least one thread when activated; and at least one thread engagement device configured to rotate the at least one thread along its longitudinal axis as the at least one thread moves through said treatment unit.

A thread conditioner and cutter includes (a) a base unit with (i) a planar divider for supporting a thread conditioning composition; (ii) a plurality of upper sidewall segments spaced apart from each other to define upper slots extending upwardly from the planar divider as well as defining an upper cavity of the base unit; (iii) a lower sidewall extending downwardly from the planar divider thereby defining an underside cavity, wherein the lower sidewall has a plurality of opposing thread notches at an upper edge thereof at a lower end of the upper slots of the upper sidewall segments as well as a pair of opposing lower slots extending upwardly from a lower edge of the lower sidewall; and (iv) a cutting blade disposed at one of said opposing slots at a first distance from the lower edge of the lower sidewall and wherein the slot opposed to the slot with the cutting blade extends a second distance from the lower edge of the lower sidewall which is greater than the first distance from the lower edge of the lower sidewall of the cutting blade.

An embroidery apparatus is configured to perform an embroidery operation according to embroidery data. The embroidery apparatus includes a thread assumed consumption amount calculator configured to calculate an assumed consumption amount of a thread in the embroidery operation, based on initial embroidery data input in advance; a thread consumption amount detection mechanism configured to detect an actual consumption amount of the thread; and a thread consumption amount adjuster configured to adjust the actual consumption amount of the thread in the embroidery operation by adjusting output embroidery data to be output, based on a difference between the calculated assumed consumption amount of the thread and the detected actual consumption amount of the thread.