Pump rod connector apparatus and method

A method for connecting an end of a piston rod of a reciprocating pump to an end of an extension rod, the method comprising:

• installing a removable inner clamp member in each of a pair of outer clamp members, wherein each of the removable inner clamp members has opposed inner surfaces with one of said inner surfaces adapted to contact a shoulder on the end of the piston rod and the other of said inner surfaces adapted to contact a shoulder on the end of the extension rod;
• placing the ends of the rods in abutting contact;
• positioning the outer clamp members about the ends of the rods such that the inner surfaces of the inner clamp members are in contact with the corresponding shoulders of the ends of the rods;
• and
• urging the outer clamp members toward one another to urge the ends of the rods together and thereby enable reciprocating motion of the extension rod to drive the pump.

A method for connecting an end of an extension rod to an end of a piston rod of a reciprocating mud pump the method comprising:

• obtaining a pair of outer clamp members;
• obtaining a plurality of interchangeable pairs of inner clamp members, wherein each of the inner clamp members has a pair of opposed inner surfaces adapted to contact both a shoulder on the end of the extension rod and a shoulder on the end of the piston rod when the ends are placed in abutting contact, and wherein at least one interchangeable pair of inner clamp members has opposed inner surfaces adapted for a shoulder configuration different than that of at least one other pair of inner clamp members;
• selecting one of the plurality of pairs of inner clamp members dependent upon configurations of shoulders of the ends of the pair of rods to be connected;
• installing one of the selected pair of inner clamp members in each of the outer clamp members;
• placing the ends of the pair of rods to be connected in abutting contact;
• positioning the outer clamp members about the ends of the pair of rods to be connected such that the inner surfaces of the inner clamp members are in contact with corresponding shoulders of the ends of the pair of rods to be connected;
• and
• urging the outer clamp members toward one another to enable reciprocating motion of the extension rod to be transferred to the piston rod.