Patent ID: 8876500

Claim:
A submersible pumping system for pumping wellbore fluid, comprising: a pump motor; a pump; a splined shaft coupling; a motor shaft having a splined end positioned within one end of the splined shaft coupling, the motor shaft having a terminal end, the splined end comprising a plurality of elongate square tooth splines; a driven shaft having a splined end positioned within an opposite end of the splined shaft coupling opposite to the motor shaft, the splined end comprising a plurality of elongate male square tooth splines, the driven shaft having a terminal end, one or both of the terminal ends of the motor shaft and the driven shaft comprising a centering guide individually extending therefrom, the driven shaft being driven by the motor shaft via the splined shaft coupling; a substantially cylindrically shaped annular insert positioned within the splined shaft coupling to retain the alignment element within a counter bore of the splined shaft coupling, the insert comprising a plurality of elongate female square tooth splines formed along an inner diameter of a bore extending through the insert, the elongate female square tooth splines configured for coupling engagement with the elongate male square tooth splines; and an alignment element landed within the splined shaft coupling, the alignment element having a pair of oppositely oriented faces, a body extending therebetween, and one or more centering profiles each separately extending into the body of the alignment element through a separate one of the pair of opposite faces, the one or more centering profiles coaxially receiving the one or more centering guides correspondingly extending from one or more of the terminal ends of the motor and driven shafts when operably positioned within the shaft coupling.