Samuel Crompton

Samuel Crompton (3 December 1753 – 26 June 1827) was an English inventor. Building on the work of James Hargreaves, who invented the Spinning jenny, and Richard Arkwright who invented the spinning frame he invented the spinning mule, a machine that changed the industry worldwide. He was born in Bolton and worked on spinning jennies when he was a boy. He got money by playing the violin at the Bolton theatre and used it to pay for materials. The first mule was made in 1779. It was used to make muslin.

An early spinning mule: showing the gears

He did not have enough money to take out a patent so other people copied his invention without paying him.[1]