Abstract: A strut improvement in an erectable carton of the shadow box type. The improved strut is provided from the carton material forming the carton blank which extends from a pair of corresponding non-common sides of two side-by-side panels which are retained in side-by-side relation as part of one pair of side-by-side panel structures when the blank is in a flattened preform condition. The strut includes a first end portion having an integral hinge connection with one of the two panels along the corresponding side thereof, a substantial central portion free of connnection with the corresponding sides of the two panels, and a second end portion having an integral hinge connection with the other of the two panels along the corresponding side thereof. The strut is folded along the hinge connections so as to bring the first end portion into surface-to-surface engagement with the one of the two panels and the second end portion into surface-to-surface engagement with the other of the two panels.

Abstract: A single folded fiberboard carrier for an even number of drinking vessels of varying shapes and sizes, having a central vertical handle portion or section, a divergent pair of apertured panels hinged to the handle portion and a convergent pair of apertured panels hinged from said divergent panels and hinged together at their bottom. The apertures in these pairs of panels are for clamping the conical or frusto-conical sides of the paper or plastic drinking cups suspended in the carrier, and for preventing tilting or spilling of the contents in the cups when the carrier is at rest and the cups are supported on their bottoms. The vertical handle portion is apertured for grasping with the fingers of one's hand. The divergent panels have elongated cup body engaging apertures with semicircular floating collars hinged at their ends diametrically of the apertures for engaging the upper sides of different size and tapered frusto-conical cups.