Mimic watch set for magic use

In a mimic watch having hour numerals "1" to "12" marked therein, a rotary disk having an hour hand fixed thereon is installed rotatably. When used for a play, the mimic watch is put into a protective case. Watching the hour hand and numerals through the rear transparent case member of the protective case, the player operates an operating string loop, with care for the audience not to be aware of the player's operation, to set the hour hand to a numeral the audience has selected. At this time, only the hour numerals will be visible through the transparent area on the front transparent case member of the protective case but an opaque area formed on the front transparent case member will hide the hour hand on the rotary disk being rotated. When the mimic watch taken out of the protective case is shown to the audience, the audience will see the hour hand point at the numeral he or see has selected, which will give the audience an illusion that the mimic watch has automatically pointed at that numeral.

The present invention relates to a mimic watch set for magic use to have a 
mimic-watch hour hand point at a numeral the audience has selected from 
among hour numerals marked on a dial or a similar member of the mimic 
watch. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has an object to provide a mimic watch set for magic 
use, simply constructed and easy to use. 
The mimic watch set according to the present invention comprises a mimic 
watch with a rotary disk carrying an hour hand and an operating string 
loop, and a protective case for the mimic watch. 
The mimic watch is composed of a front case frame/cover member and a rear 
case frame/cover member, which define together an inner space of the mimic 
watch. Each of the front and rear case frame/cover members consists of an 
opaque case frame portion and a central transparent cover portion. The 
central transparent cover portion of the front or rear case frame/cover 
member has twelve hour numerals "1" to "12" marked circumferentially 
thereon along the opaque case frame portion thereof. The hour numerals are 
in normal postures when viewed from the front of the mimic watch. 
The rotary disk is composed of a central transparent disk portion 
corresponding to both the central transparent cover portions of the front 
and rear case frame/cover members, and an annular plate portion fixed to 
the circumference of the central transparent disk portion. The rotary disk 
is so disposed in the inner space of the mimic watch as to be rotatable 
about an axis thereof extending perpendicularly to, and through the 
centers of, the transparent disk portion thereof and the central 
transparent cover portions of the front and rear case frame/cover members. 
In addition, the rotary disk has an hour hand fixed on the transparent 
disk portion thereof. The hour hand extends radially from the center of 
rotation of the rotary disk to a position a little short of the hour 
numerals on the central transparent cover portion of the front or rear 
case frame/cover member. 
The operating string loop is provided as wound inside the annular plate 
portion of the rotary disk inside the mimic watch. It is fixed at one 
place to the annular plate portion of the rotary disk. The portion of the 
string loop other than laid wound around the annular plate portion of the 
rotary disk is led out of the mimic watch. 
The protective case is composed of an opaque front case member to cover the 
front case frame/cover member of the mimic watch, a rear case member and a 
side case member. The protective case is open at a portion of the side 
case member between the front and rear case members. Thus the mimic watch 
can be put into and taken out of the protective case through the opening. 
The opaque front case member is partially transparent in a range through 
which it is possible to see the hour numerals marked on the central 
transparent cover portion of the front or rear case frame/cover member of 
the mimic watch. Also the rear case member is partially transparent in a 
range through which the above-mentioned hour numerals and hand can be seen 
from outside. 
As having been described in the foregoing, both the hour numerals "1" to 
"12" and hour hand are visible through the central transparent cover 
portions of the front and rear case frame/cover members. However, when the 
mimic watch is put in place in the protective case, only the hour numerals 
"1" to "12" can be seen through the transparent area of the front case 
member of the protective case and both the hour numerals and hand are 
visible through the transparent area of the rear case member. By pulling 
the operating string loop portion led out of the mimic watch, the rotary 
disk can be rotated relative to the front and rear case frame/cover 
members for the hour hand to point at a desired one of the hour numerals 
on the central transparent cover portion of the front or rear case 
frame/cover member. 
How the foregoing and other more specific objects of the present invention 
are achieved will appear in the ensuing more detailed description of an 
illustrative embodiment of the invention which will now be set forth in 
reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In FIGS. 1, 2 and 10, the portions smudged with small dots indicate opaque 
portions. Through Figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates a mimic 
watch. The mimic watch 1 has the form of a disk and comprises a front case 
frame/cover member 11 and a rear case frame/cover member 12, which define 
an inner space 10 between them, as shown in FIG. 2. 
The front case frame/cover member 11 is comprised of a central transparent 
cover portion 11A having the form of a short hollow cylinder open at the 
back thereof, and an opaque case frame portion 11B having the form of a 
ring with a circular opening 112 in the center thereof. The central 
transparent cover 11A and opaque case frame 11B are integrally fixed to 
each other. 
The rear case frame/cover member 12 is composed of a central transparent 
cover portion 12A having the form of a short hollow cylinder open at the 
back thereof, and an opaque case frame portion 12B having the form of a 
ring with a circular opening 122 in the center thereof. The central 
transparent cover 12A and opaque case frame 12B are integrally fixed to 
each other. 
Each of the opaque case frames 11B and 12B has a projection 13 formed on 
the top thereof. There is provided a retaining ring 14 which is to be 
fitted on the projections (crown/crown stem) 13. The opaque case frame 11B 
has a pawl 15 formed at the bottom thereof while the opaque case frame 12B 
has a through-hole 16 formed in the bottom thereof. The pawl 15 is to be 
engaged on the edge of the through-hole 16. In order to assemble the front 
and rear case frame/cover members 11 and 12 to each other into the mimic 
watch 1, the pawl 15 of the opaque case frame 11B is fitted into the 
through-hole 16, the front and rear case frame/cover members 11 and 12 are 
pressed to each other, and then the retaining ring 14 is fitted onto the 
projections 13. Thus, the central transparent cover 11A and opaque case 
frame 11B of the front case frame/cover member 11 are assembled to the 
central transparent cover 12A and opaque case frame 12B, respectively, of 
the rear case frame/cover member 12 to form the mimic watch 1. 
The central transparent cover (dial) 12A of the rear case frame/cover 
member 12 has hour numerals "1" to "12" marked thereon along the 
circumference thereof. The hour numerals "1" to "12" are disposed as 
regularly spaced circumferentially on the central transparent cover 12A, 
and take normal postures when viewed from the front of the central 
transparent cover 11A of the front case frame/case member 11. 
There is provided in the inner space 10 of the mimic watch 1 a rotary disk 
2 rotatable about an axis thereof extending perpendicularly to, and 
through the centers of, the central transparent covers 11A and 12A. 
The rotary disk 2 is composed of a transparent disk 20 corresponding to the 
circular openings 112 and 122 of the opaque case frames 11B and 12B and an 
annular plate 21 fixed to the circumference of the transparent disk 20. 
The annular plate 21 may be transparent or opaque. 
The transparent disk 20 has an hour hand 22 fixed thereon. The hour hand 22 
extends radially from the center of rotation of the rotary disk 2 to a 
position a little short of the hour numerals marked on the central 
transparent cover 12A of the rear case frame/cover member 12. 
The rotary disk 2 is rotated by operating the opening string loop 3 which 
is an endless chain, for example. 
The chain 3 is disposed as wound inside the annular plate 21 along the 
circumference of the transparent disk 20 within the mimic watch 1, and 
fixed at one place (indicated at 30) to the annular plate 21. The portion 
of the chain 3 other than laid wound inside the annular plate 21 is led 
out of the inner space 10 of the mimic watch 1 through holes 17 in the 
projections (crown/crown stem) 13. 
The place 30 where the chain 3 is fixed to the rotary disk 2 is at about 
195.degree. clockwise from the hour hand 22 when viewed from the back of 
the mimic watch. 
During a magic play, the mimic watch 1 is to be put into and taken out of 
the protective case 4. The protective case 4 is a hollow disk a little 
larger in size than the mimic watch 1. 
The protective case 4 is composed of a transparent front case member 40, a 
transparent rear case member 41, and a semi-circular opaque side case 
member 42. The side case member 42 is fixed along a half of the 
circumference of the front and rear case members 40 and 41. Thus, the 
protective case 4 is open (as indicated with 43) along the other half of 
the circumference of the front and rear case members 40 and 41, that is, 
between the opposite ends of the side case member 42 as well as between 
the front and rear case members 40 and 41. Thus, the mimic watch can be 
put into the protective case 4 through the opening 43. 
The transparent front case member 40 is partially opaque in a central 
circular area 401 having a radius a little larger the length of the hour 
hand 22 as well as in an annular peripheral area 402. These opaque areas 
401 and 402 are provided on the front case member 40 by printing or 
coating an opaque material, by applying an opaque tape or by any other 
appropriate manner. Thus the front case member 40 has formed thereon an 
annular front transparent area 400 through which only the above-mentioned 
hour numerals are visible from outside. 
There is provided between the mimic watch 1 and rotary disk 2 a locking 
member to block the rotary disk 2 from rotating. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, 
the locking member is composed of an elastic plate 5 fixed at one end 
thereof to the central transparent cover 11A and having two pawls 50 
formed as spaced from each other at the other end thereof, and a plurality 
of small pins 51 disposed as regularly spaced on the annular plate 21 
along the circumference of the latter. When one of the small pins 51 is 
caught between the two pawls 50 as shown in FIG. 8, the rotary disk 4 is 
locked against any rotation relative to the mimic watch 1. 
The protective case 4 has provided thereon a means of releasing the rotary 
disk 4 from the above-mentioned locked state. The unlocking means consists 
of projections 52 formed on the inner wall of the side case member 42 of 
the protective case 4. When the mimic watch 1 is put into the protective 
case 4; the projections 52 abut the above-mentioned elastic plate 5 
through the through-hole 16 in the opaque case frame 12B to resiliently 
deflect the elastic plate 5, where the one of the small pins 51 that has 
been caught between the two pawls 50 of the elastic plate 5 are released 
from between the pawls 50. Thus, the rotary disk 4 is released from the 
above-mentioned locked state and becomes freely rotatable (as shown in 
FIG. 9). 
A cushion member 31 such as a sponge or the like is provided between the 
projections (crown/crown shaft) 13 of the opaque case frames 11B and 12B. 
The chain 3 is passed through this cushion member 31, so that the cushion 
material 31 will prevent a sound from being produced by a friction or 
contact between the chain 3 and projections 13 when the chain 3 is 
operated. 
A mimic chain 32 is fixed to the projections 13 of the opaque case frame 
11B of the mimic watch 1. The mimic chain 31 remains not moved when the 
chain 3 is operated to give an impression that the chain 3 is not 
operated. 
The mimic watch set for magic use according to the present invention is 
constructed as having been described in the foregoing. It is to be used as 
will be explained below: 
First, the player takes the mimic watch 1 out of the protective case 4 and 
shows it the audience. The player has the audience confirm that the hour 
hand 22 points to "12" (12 o'clock), for example, as shown in FIG. 2 or 
any other hour numeral. At this time, the locking member is working to 
lock the chain 3 and rotary disk 2 against rotation as shown in FIGS. 5 
and 8. 
Next, the player puts the mimic watch 1 into the protective case 4 again 
with the front of the mimic watch 1 placed behind the front case member 40 
while directing the front sides of the mimic watch 1 and protective case 4 
toward the audience. At this time, only the hour numerals "1" to "12" in 
the mimic watch 1 are visible through the annular front transparent area 
400 on the front case member 40 of the protective case 4. Also, since the 
chain 3 and rotary disk 2 have been unlocked, the chain 3 can be freely 
operated to rotate the rotary disk 2 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9. 
Then, the player asks the audience which is his or her most favorite one 
among the numerals "1" to "12". While watching the hour hand 22 through 
the rear transparent case member 41 of the protective case 4, the player 
should operate the chain 3 to rotate the rotary disk 2 until the hour hand 
22 points at the audience-selected numeral. This operation should be done 
carefully for the audience not to be conscious thereof. 
If the audience has answered any one of the numerals "1" to "6", for 
example, the player should pull the chain 3 in the direction of 
dashed-line arrow as shown in FIG. 10 to rotate the rotary disk 2 in the 
direction of dashed-line arrow (counterclockwise). When the hour hand 22 
has come to that hour numeral, the player stops pulling the chain 3 in the 
direction of dashed-line arrow. If the most favorite numeral the audience 
has said is included in the numerals "7" to "11", the chain 3 should be 
pulled in the direction of solid-line arrow as shown in FIG. 10 to rotate 
the rotary disk 2 in the direction of solid-line arrow. When the hour hand 
22 has reached the numeral, pulling the chain 3 in the direction of 
solid-line arrow should be stopped. If the audience has answered his or 
her most favorite numeral is "12", the chain 3 should not be pulled. The 
protective case 4 is not shown in FIG. 10. 
During operation of the chain 3, only the hour numerals "1" to "12" on the 
central transparent cover 12A are visible to the audience through the 
annular front transparent area 400 while the hour hand 22 on the rotary 
disk 2 being rotating is not seen to the audience from outside because the 
protective case 4 containing the mimic watch 1 is directed at the front 
side thereof to the audience and thus the hour hand 22 is behind the 
opaque area 401. 
After setting the hour hand 22 to the audience's favorite numeral, the 
player takes the mimic watch 1 out of the protective case 4 and shows it 
to the audience. Seeing the hour hand 22 of the mimic watch 1 points at 
the numeral the audience has said to the player, he or she will be given 
an illusion that the mimic watch 1 has automatically pointed to that 
numeral. 
When taking out the mimic watch 1 from the protective case 4, the player 
may put the chain 3 on the audience's finger and have the audience hold 
it, and take off the protective case 4 from on the mimic watch 1. At this 
time, the locking member provided in this embodiment according to the 
present invention, is locking the chain 3 and rotary disk 2 so that the 
rotary disk 2 with the hour hand 22 may not possibly be rotated even if 
the chain 3 is pulled. Therefore, the trick of the mimic watch 1 will not 
possibly be revealed to the audience. 
In the aforementioned embodiment, the chain 3 is used as the operating 
string loop. However, it should be noted that it may be any other string 
or filamentous member.