Security locking box

Claim 2

A locking box having an opening closed by a cover secureable in a position closing said opening and a lock mechanism requiring movement through an enabling combination of a plurality of preselected, sequential positions which comprises: a retainer member carried on the inside wall of said cover; a latch member carried by said box and moveable between a first position capturing said retainer member and a second position releasing said retainer member; latch actuation means including an actuation member and a ball member received in an actuation cavity to operatively interconnect said actuation member and said latch member; labyrinth means received within said box and accessible only through said opening including a plurality of ball receiving channels formed by at least one chamber subdivided by a plurality of transverse partitions having ball passing apertures at diverse locations to define a continuous, three dimensional torturous passageway having cross passageways at mutually perpendicular orientations with at least one of said transverse partitions being removeably received in said chamber thereby permitting fixed adjustability of said latch enabling combinations; and a ball obstruction in said passageway and means interconnected with said actuation means and operative to remove said ball obstruction and permit ball access through said passageway.

Claim 3

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said latch member comprises a pair of opposed hook members, one carried on said actuation member and the other on a latch travel member moveably mounted in said latch actuation means and yieldably interconnected to said actuation member; fixed position abutment means; and movable abutment means carried by said latch travel member, opposed to said fixed abutment means but separated therefrom by said actuation cavity.

Claim 4

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said at least one removable partition is reversible.

Claim 5

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said at least one removable partition is one of a plurality of interchangeable partitions.

Claim 6

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein two or more of said partitions are removable and interchangable.

Claim 7

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said labyrinth includes a ball shunting passageway.

Claim 8

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said passageway has lateral dimensions substantially greater than the diameter of said ball whereby said ball has freedom of movement in three dimensions within said passageway.

Claim 9

The lock mechanism of claim 1 wherein said at least one removeable partition is invertible.

Claim 10

A locking box having an opening closed by a cover secureable in a position closing said opening and a lock mechanism requiring movement through an enabling combination of a plurality of preselected, sequential positions which comprises: a retainer member carried on the inside wall of said cover; a latch member carried by said box and moveable between a first position capturing said retainer member and a second position releasing said retainer member; latch actuation means including an actuation member and a ball member received in an actuation cavity to operatively interconnect said actuation member and said latch member; labyrinth means received within said box and accessible only through said opening including a plurality of ball receiving channels formed by at least one chamber subdivided by a plurality of transverse partitions having ball passing apertures at diverse locations to define a continuous, three dimensional torturous passageway having cross passageways at mutually perpendicular orientations with at least one of said transverse partitions being removeably received in said chamber thereby permitting fixed adjustability of said latch enabling combinations; and a ball shunting passageway interconnecting intermediate locations of said torturous passageway with ball deflecting means interconnected to said actuation means and moveable therewith into a position permitting access to said shunting passageway.

Claim 11

A locking box having an opening closed by a cover secureable in a position closing said opening and a lock mechanism requiring movement through an enabling combination of a plurality of preselected, sequential positions which comprises: a retainer member carried on the inside wall of said cover; a latch member carried by said box and moveable between a first position capturing said retainer member and a second position releasing said retainer member; latch actuation means including an actuation member and a ball member received in an actuation cavity to operatively interconnect said actuation member and said latch member; labyrinth means received within said box and accessible only through said opening including a plurality of ball receiving channels formed by at least one chamber subdivided by a plurality of transverse partitions having ball passing apertures at diverse locations to define a continuous, three dimensional torturous passageway having cross passageways at mutually perpendicular orientations with at least one of said transverse partitions being removeably received in said chamber thereby permitting fixed adjustability of said latch enabling combinations; and a ball shunting passageway interconnecting intermediate locations of said torturous passageway with ball deflecting means interconnected to said actuation means and moveable therewith into a position permitting access to said shunting passageway.