A process and apparatus for opening the sealing flaps of a carton using drive elements for spreading or folding such sealing flaps open as required for packaging cartons having sealed bottoms. The boxes are inverted and lowered from a floating position with the bottom up and the sealing flaps hanging down. The flaps are placed on drive elements which move away from each other and in the flap opening direction. The box is then moved to a packaging area in the inverted position and lowered over th...