Carrying carton for containers

Claim 1

A CARRYING CARTON FOR CONTAINERS, SAID CARTON COMPRISING: A TOP PANEL, A BOTTOM PANEL, AND A PAIR OF END PANELS INTERMEDIATE SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PANELS, SAID PANELS BEING CONNECTED TO FORM A COLLAPSIBLE BODY WHICH WHEN SET UP IS INITIALLY OPEN AT BOTH SIDES, BOTTOM SIDE FLAPS HINGED TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, TOP SIDE FLAPS HINGED TO SAID TOP PANEL AND TUCK FLAPS HINGED TO THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID END PANELS, SAID SIDE AND TUCK FLAPS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY CLOSE THE SIDES OF SAID BODY AND AN OPEN POSITION TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY EXPOSE BOTH OF SAID SIDE OPENINGS AND TO FACILITATE CHARGING OF CONTAINERS INTO SAID BODY THERETHROUGH, SAID TUCK FLAPS HAVING SLOTS THEREIN, AND SAID SIDE FLAPS HAVING FORWARDLY TAPERED AND REARWARDLY BARBED TONGUE FORMATIONS THEREON ADAPTED FOR INSERTION INTO AND INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SLOTS IN SAID TUCK FLAPS, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PANELS HAVING FOLD LINES SPACED INWARDLY FROM AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE SIDE EDES THEREOF TO DEFINE EDGE PORTIONS WHICH ARE DISCONNECTED FROM AND FREE TO MOVE WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT END PANELS, WHEREBY AFTER THE TUCK FLAPS HAVE BEEN CLOSED THE TONGUES ON SAID SIDE FLAPS MAY INITIALLY ENTER THE SLOT FORMATIONS IN SAID TUCK FLAPS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL BENDING AND SAID SIDE FLAPS MAY SUBSEQUENTLY MOVE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID TUCK FLAPS TO EFFECT INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FORMATIONS.