Bearing case support

Apparatus comprising:

• a turbine machine having a turbine casing enclosing a turbine shaft, said turbine shaft having a longitudinal axis, said turbine casing having a first end portion and a second end portion, at least one turbine casing support element connected to said first end portion of said turbine casing to provide vertical support for said turbine casing;
• a bearing case at least substantially enclosing an end portion of said turbine shaft, said bearing case having an inboard end portion for supporting an end portion of said turbine shaft and said second end portion of said turbine casing, said bearing case having an outboard end portion remote from said turbine casing;
• at least one inboard support element connected to said inboard end portion of said bearing case to provide vertical support for said inboard end portion of said bearing case while permitting movement of said inboard end portion of said bearing case in a direction at least substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said turbine shaft;
• and
• at least one outboard support element connected to said outboard end portion of said bearing case to provide vertical support for said outboard end portion of said bearing case while permitting movement of said outboard end portion of said bearing case in a direction at least substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said turbine shaft, each said outboard support element having upper and lower camming shim members, each said upper camming shim member being mounted to said outboard end portion of said bearing case, each said lower camming shim member being stationarily mounted, an upper surface of each said lower camming shim member being inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so as to provide an upper edge and a lower edge of said upper surface of said lower camming shim member, such that said upper edge of said upper surface of said lower camming shim member is more remote from said inboard end portion than said lower edge of said upper surface of said lower camming shim member, a lower surface of each said upper camming shim member being inclined with respect to said horizontal plane so as to provide an upper edge and a lower edge of said lower surface of said upper camming shim member, such that said upper edge of said lower surface of said upper camming shim member is more remote from said inboard end portion than said lower edge of said lower surface of said upper camming shim member, said upper camming shim member being positioned above said lower camming shim member with said lower surface of said upper camming shim member being in sliding contact with said upper surface of said lower camming shim member, whereby said outboard end portion of said bearing case can be maintained in alignment with said end portion of said turbine shaft during operation of said turbine machine at elevated temperatures.