Electric hair curling apparatus having a motor-driven rotatable hair wrapping member

Curling apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• an elongate barrel extending from the housing, said barrel forming a mandrel about which hair may be wrapped to form a curl;
• means mounting the barrel for rotation about its longitudinal axis relative to the housing;
• an elongate wrapping member disposed along at least a portion of the barrel, said wrapping member being mounted on the barrel for rotation therewith and adapted for movement toward the longitudinal axis of the barrel to urge the hair against the barrel and for movement away from the longitudinal axis of the barrel to relax its engagement with the hair, said wrapping member having a shape that generally conforms to the shape of the barrel surface and such that when the wrapping member is moved into contact with the barrel, the abutting surfaces are substantially in continuous contact;
• means for unidirectionally rotating the barrel about its longitudinal axis and relative to the housing;
• and
• cooperating means on said housing and wrapping member for automatically and periodically moving the wrapping member toward and away from the longitudinal axis of the barrel, during each revolution of the barrel, in response to rotation of the barrel.