Pump rod clamp and blowout preventer

A pump rod clamp for gripping a pump rod in an oil, gas or water well, the pump rod clamp comprising:

• (i) a central housing having a longitudinal bore for receiving a pump rod, said central housing including at least one pair of opposed radial bores generally perpendicular to said longitudinal bore and having interior ends terminating at said longitudinal bore;
• (ii) a ram received within each of said opposed radial bores, each of said rams having a leading face generally directed toward the exterior surface of the pump rod;
• and,
• (iii) one or more actuators to cause said rams to be moved within said opposed radial bores between an activated position where said rams grippingly engage the pump rod to limit rotational and axial movement thereof, and a deactivated position where said rams are disengaged from the pump rod,
• each of said rams including one or more gripping inserts releasably securable to their leading faces such that when said rams are in said activated position said gripping inserts contact the exterior surface of the pump rod, said gripping inserts having outer faces with an arcuate shape generally corresponding to the curvature of the exterior of the pump rod and coated with a ceramic material, said ceramic material enhancing the ability of said gripping inserts to grippingly engage the pump rod and providing an electrically insulative barrier between said pump rod clamp and the pump rod when said clamping members are in said activated position.

A clamping blowout preventer for gripping a pump rod in an oil, gas or water well, the clamping blowout preventer comprising:

• (i) a central housing having a longitudinally oriented bore for receiving a pump rod, said central housing including at least two radially opposed bores generally perpendicular to said longitudinal bore and having interior ends terminating at said longitudinal bore;
• (ii) a ram received within each of said radially opposed bores, each of said rams having a leading face generally directed toward the exterior surface of the pump rod, said leading faces of said rams including one or more gripping inserts releasably secured thereto said gripping inserts having outer faces that are arcuate in shape and that generally correspond to the curvature of the exterior or the pump rod;
• (iii) at least one actuator to cause said rams to be moved between an activated and deactivated position, when in said activated position said rams driven inwardly toward the pump rod causing said outer faces of said gripping inserts to grippingly engage the exterior surface of the pump rod and to limit axial and rotational movement thereof, when in said deactivated position said rams retracted from the pump rod permitting said gripping inserts to be released from engagement with the pump rod;
• and,
• (iv) a seal secured to each of said rams such that the seals on opposed rams engage both the exterior surface of the pump rod and one another when said rams are in said activated position, to limit well fluids from escaping from the well.

A pump rod clamp for gripping a pump rod in a oil, gas or water well, the pump rod clamp comprising:

• (i) central housing having a longitudinal bore for receiving a pump rod;
• (ii) a plurality of clamping members received within said central housing;
• and,
• (iii) one or more actuators to cause said clamping members to be moved between an activated position where they grippingly engage the exterior surface of the pump rod and a deactivated position where they are released from contact with the exterior surface of the pump rod,
• each of said clamping members comprising a ram received within a radial bore extending through said central housing generally perpendicular to said longitudinal bore and having an interior end terminating at said longitudinal bore, each of said rams having a leading face with an arcuate channel thereon for grippingly engaging the pump rod when said rams are in said activated position, said arcuate channel coated with a ceramic material to enhance the ability of said arcuate channel to grippingly engage the pump rod and to provide an electrically insulative barrier between said pump rod clamp and the pump rod when said rams are in said activated position.