Shoulder Rivets

A “shoulder rivet” has a manufactured head on one end, a solid shoulder under the head and a smaller diameter shank that is solid or has a semi-tubular or tubular hole. Common rivet head styles are flat, oval, truss, button and countersunk. Among the raw materials used are steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and copper. Rivet plating and coating options are selected by end user dependent on the application.
Shoulder rivets quickly and inexpensively join work-piece materials together while permitting rotation of the riveted work-piece. The shoulder of the rivet acts as a bearing surface when the rivet shank is clinched tight to the non-rotating part of the work piece(s). Shoulder rivets can act as slides, stops or guide points for assembled work-pieces. On bolt-less shelving units, the shoulder portion of the rivet is press fit into a “keyway hole” on the upright leg of the shelf to form a strong removable joint. Riveted work-pieces are most often joined together by impacting or compressing the shank end of the rivet with a crimping die (rivet anvil).