Regulated air entering the gun passes through the
handle and throttle valve, which is controlled by the
trigger, and into the cylinder in which the piston
moves. Air pressure forces the piston down against
the rivet set and exhausts itself through side ports.
The rivet set recoils, forcing the piston back. Then
the cycle is repeated. Each time the piston strikes the
rivet set, the force is transmitted to the rivet. Rivet
sets come in various sizes to fit the various shaped
rivet heads. Rivet set retainer springs must be used on
all pneumatic rivet sets to prevent the set from being
discharged from the gun when the trigger is pulled.
Several types of pneumatic riveters are in general
use. They are the one-shot gun, slow-hitting gun,
fast-hitting gun, corner riveter, and the squeeze
riveter.
See figure 13-11.
The type of gun used
depends on the particular job at hand, with each type
having its advantages for certain types of work.
Small parts can be riveted by one person if the part is
accessible for both bucking and driving. The greater
part of riveted work, however, requires two people.
Rivet Guns
Figure 13-11.—Various types of rivet guns.
shaver is adjusted correctly, the rivet head will be
shaved aerodynamically smooth.
Pneumatic Riveters
Rivet guns vary in size and shape and have a
variety of handles and grips. Nearly all riveting is
done with pneumatic riveters. The pneumatic riveting
guns operate on compressed air supplied from a
compressor or storage tank. Normally, rivet guns are
equipped with an air regulator on the handle to control
the amount of air entering the gun. See figure 13-10.
The size and the type of gun used for a particular
job depend upon the size and alloy rivets being driven
and the accessibility of the rivet. For driving
medium-sized, heat-treated rivets that are in
accessible places, the slow-hitting gun is preferred.
For small, soft alloy rivets, the fast-hitting gun is
preferable. There will be places where a conventional
gun cannot be used. For this type of work, a corner
gun is employed.
Larger rivets require greater air pressure. The
approximate air pressures for four of the most
common rivet sizes are given in table 13-1.
Table 13-1.—Approximate Air Pressure for Rivet Guns
13-7
