Steam-producing curling iron

Claim 2

A steam-producing curling iron comprising: a. a tubular barrel of appropriate size and shape for having hair wound around it, said barrel having holes along at least a portion of its length, said holes extending through the wall of said barrel, b. an elongated heating member axially slidable within said barrel between an advanced position and a retracted position, said barrel having a plurality of elongated depressions for guiding the movement of said heating member, c. a handle at one end of said barrel, d. a liquid-containing means at the other end of said barrel, said liquid-containing means including a reservoir and a liquid-transmitting means communicating with said reservoir and exposed within said barrel in a region which communicates with said holes, said liquid-transmitting means being in the path of movement of said heating member and arranged to be contacted by said heating member, to produce steam, when said heating member is in its advanced position, e. a seal between said heating member and said barrel, said seal permitting sliding movement between said heating member and barrel, and a steam chamber being defined between said seal and said liquid-transmitting means, said holes permitting escape of steam from said chamber, and f. actuator means carried by said handle and operatively associated with said heating member for sliding said heating member between its advanced and retracted positions, said actuator means being movable with respect to said handle and being located so that it may be operated by the same hand of the user which grasps said handle, whereby when hair is wound around said barrel and said actuator means is manipulated to slide said heating member to its advanced position, steam produced within said barrel flows out of said barrel through said holes and is applied to the wound hair.

Claim 3

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 1 including resilient means, associated with one of said heating member and said actuator means, constantly urging said heating member toward its retracted position.

Claim 4

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 2 including an abutment fixed within said barrel, and wherein said resilient means is a spring arranged between said abutment means and said heating member.

Claim 5

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 1 wherein said heating member is electrically heated, and including means within said handle for transmitting electric current to said heating member.

Claim 6

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 4 wherein said seal surrounds said heating member, said seal engaging the inner surface of said barrel along a continuous line so as to prevent liquid from flowing from said barrel into said handle, said holes in said barrel being between said seal and said liquid-transmitting means.

Claim 7

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 1 wherein said liquid-transmitting means is a wick of absorbent material within said reservoir, said wick being fixed with respect to said barrel.

Claim 8

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 1 wherein said actuator means includes a lever pivotally mounted about an axis fixed with respect to said handle, and link means between said lever and said heating member for transmitting movement of said lever to said heating member.

Claim 9

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 7 including a second lever pivotally mounted about an axis fixed with respect to said handle, said second lever being located diametrically opposite said actuator means lever, and an elongated clamp fixed to said second lever and extending longitudinally along the exterior of said barrel, whereby the end of a lock of hair to be wound around said barrel can be gripped between said clamp and said barrel.

Claim 10

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 1 wherein said holes in said barrel are located within at least one of said elongated depressions.

Claim 11

A steam-producing curling iron comprising: a. a tubular barrel of appropriate size and shape for having hair wound around it, said barrel having holes along at least a portion of its length, said holes extending through the wall of said barrel, b. a heating member axially slidable within said barrel between an advanced position and a retracted position, c. means associated with said barrel for guiding the movement of said heating member, d. a handle at one end of said barrel, e. a liquid-containing means at the other end of said barrel, said liquid-containing means including a reservoir and a liquid-transmitting means communicating with said reservoir and exposed within said barrel in a region which communicates with said holes, said liquid-transmitting means being in the path of movement of said heating member and arranged to be contacted by said heating member, to produce steam, when said heating member is in its advanced position, f. a seal between said heating member and said barrel, said seal permitting sliding movement between said heating member and barrel, and a steam chamber being defined between said seal and said liquid-transmitting means, said holes permitting escape of steam from said chamber, and g. actuator means carried by said handle and operatively associated with said heating member for sliding said heating member between its advanced and retracted positions, said actuator means being movable with respect to said handle and being located so that it may be operated by the same hand of the user which grasps said handle, said actuator means including a finger-operable member exposed on the exterior of said handle, and link means between said finger-operable member and said heating member for transmitting movement of said finger-operable member to said heating member, said link means being connected to said heating member on the side of said seal opposite said steam chamber, whereby when hair is wound around said barrel and said actuator means is manipulated to slide said heating member to its advanced position, steam produced within said barrel flows out of said barrel through said holes and is applied to the wound hair.

Claim 12

A steam-producing curling iron comprising: a. a tubular barrel of appropriate size and shape for having hair wound around it, said barrel having holes along at least a portion of its length, said holes extending through the wall of said barrel, b. a heating member axially slidable within said barrel between an advanced position and a retracted position, c. means associated with said barrel for guiding the movement of said heating member, d. a handle at one end of said barrel, e. a liquid-containing means at the other end of said barrel, said liquid-containing means including a reservoir and a liquid-transmitting means communicating with said reservoir and exposed within said barrel in a region which communicates with said holes, said liquid-transmitting means being in the path of movement of said heating member and arranged to be contacted by said heating member, to produce steam, when said heating member is in its advanced position, f. a seal between said heating member and said barrel, said seal permitting sliding movement between said heating member and barrel, and a steam chamber being defined between said seal and said liquid-transmitting means, said holes permitting escape of steam from said chamber, and g. actuator means carried by said handle and operatively associated with said heating member for sliding said heating member between its advanced and retracted positions, said actuator means being movable with respect to said handle and being located so that it may be operated by the same hand of the user which grasps said handle, said actuator means including a finger-operable member exposed on the exterior of said handle, and link means between said finger-operable member and said heating member for transmitting movement of said finger-operable member to said heating member, said link means being connected to said heating member on the side of said seal opposite said steam chamber, whereby when hair is wound around said barrel and said actuator means is manipulated to slide said heating member to its advanced position, steam produced within said barrel flows out of said barrel through said holes and is applied to the wound hair.

Claim 13

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 10 including resilient means, associated with one of said heating member and said actuator means, constantly urging said heating member toward its retracted position.

Claim 14

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 11 including an abutment fixed within said barrel, and wherein said resilient means is a spring arranged between said abutment means and said heating member.

Claim 15

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 10 wherein said heating member is electrically heated, and including means within said handle for transmitting electric current to said heating member.

Claim 16

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 13 wherein said seal surrounds said heating member, said seal engaging the inner surface of said barrel along a continuous line so as to prevent liquid from flowing from said barrel into said handle, said holes in said barrel being between said seal and said liquid transmitting means.

Claim 17

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 10 wherein said liquid-transmitting means is a wick of absorbent material within said reservoir, said wick being fixed with respect to said barrel.

Claim 18

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 10 wherein said finger-operable member includes a lever pivotally mounted about an axis fixed with respect to said handle.

Claim 19

A steam-producing curling iron as defined in claim 16 including a second lever pivotally mounted about an axis fixed with respect to said handle, said second lever being located diametrically opposite said actuator means lever, and an elongated clamp fixed to said second lever and extending longitudinally along the exterior of said barrel, whereby the end of a lock of hair to be wound around said barrel can be gripped between said clamp and said barrel.