Patent ID: 8366323

Claim:
A rotation shaft supporting structure of a journal bearing, the rotation shaft supporting structure comprising: a cylindrical bearing housing; a plurality of pads that are capable of self-alignment and are circumferentially spaced along an inner surface of the cylindrical bearing housing, the plurality of pads configured to support a journal, each of the plurality of pads having a bearing surface that forms a radial clearance with a rotating surface of the journal for lubrication oil; radial clearance forming means provided between an inner face of an upper portion of the cylindrical bearing housing and a back face of an upper pad of the plurality of pads and at a downstream position of the upper pad in relation to a direction of rotation of the journal, the radial clearance forming means allowing the radial clearance between the bearing surface of the upper pad and the rotating surface of the journal to narrow from upstream to downstream in the direction of rotation of the journal; and pad attitude adjusting means provided at both an upstream end part and a downstream end part of the upper pad in relation to the direction of rotation of the journal, the pad attitude adjusting means allowing for adjustment of the radial clearance between the bearing surface of the upper pad and the rotating surface of the journal, wherein the upper pad is free of a weight of the journal.