Crompton, Samuel

Crompton, Samuel, 1753–1827, English inventor of the mule spinner, or muslin wheel, an important step in the development of fine cotton spinning. Working as a young man in a spinning mill, he knew the defects of the Hargreaves jenny and determined to produce something better. After five years of secret work, he perfected (1779) a machine that combined the features of the jenny and Arkwright's frame and that, in one operation, by drawing, twisting, and winding the cotton, produced a very fine yarn. Crompton, however, was too poor to obtain a patent for his invention and sold his rights for £60. Later Parliament granted him £5,000.

---

Crompton, Samuel

(born Dec. 3, 1753, Firwood, Lancashire, Eng.—died June 26, 1827, Bolton, Lancashire) British inventor. His spinning mule (probably called a mule because it was a cross between inventions of Richard Arkwright and James Hargreaves) permitted large-scale manufacture of high-quality thread and yarn by simultaneously drawing out and giving the final twisting to the cotton fibres fed into it, reproducing mechanically the actions of hand spinning.