Samuel Crompton

Crompton, Samuel (1753–1827), English inventor. He devised a weaving machine that produced superior cotton fibers for commercial use. By combining the best features of the 2 existing weaving machines, Crompton created the “mule” in 1779. By the early 1800s, more than 4.5 million mules were in use in England, making it the world's leading textile producer of that time.