Apparatus and method for mechanically coupling a motor to a rotor of a progressive cavity pump

An apparatus for mechanically coupling a motor to a rotor of a progressive cavity pump, the apparatus comprising:

• a proximal shaft configured to mechanically couple to the motor;
• a proximal-middle universal joint;
• a middle shaft coupled to the proximal shaft via the proximal-middle universal joint;
• a housing shaped to define a bore;
• a middle-distal universal joint disposed within the bore;
• a distal shaft coupled to the middle shaft via the middle-distal universal joint;
• a slidable connector slidably disposed over the distal shaft and configured to reversibly couple to a proximal end of the rotor,
• the bore being sized to limit a downward tilt of the distal shaft such that, as the rotor approaches the distal shaft, the distal shaft becomes axially aligned with the rotor by virtue of the proximal end of the rotor entering the slidable connector or the slidable connector entering the proximal end of the rotor;
• and
• a compression spring connected proximally to the slidable connector and distally to the middle-distal universal joint, and configured to decompress, thereby reversibly coupling the slidable connector to the proximal end of the rotor, subsequently to the distal shaft becoming axially aligned with the rotor, upon the motor rotationally aligning the slidable connector with the proximal end of the rotor.