Rivet - Definition and Overview

A rivetted buffer beam on a steam locomotive

A rivet is a mechanical fastener consisting of a smooth cylindrical shaft with heads on either end. The heads are somewhat larger than the diameter of the hole into which the rivet has been inserted. Generally one head is factory formed. The other is formed by flattening out the metal after the rivet has been inserted. This can either be done by applying force to both sides of the rivet (as in a solid rivet), or by pulling a mandrel out of one side of the rivet causing the other side to deform (blind rivet).

There are a number of types of rivets: solid rivets, blind rivets, multi-grip rivets, grooved type rivets, Peel Type Blind Rivets, plastic rivets, drive rivets, etc.

Before welding techniques and bolted joints were developed, metal framed buildings and structures such as the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Harbour Bridge were generally held together by riveting. Riveting is still widely used in applications where light weight and high strength are critical, such as in airplanes.

Common but more exotic uses of rivets are to reinforce jeans and to produce the distinctive sound of a sizzle cymbal.

See also

• Rosie the Riveter