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TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a device which cleans between teeth of a compactor wheel on a work machine and, more specifically, to such a device adapted for mounting on a mounting beam attached to the work machine.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Work machines known as compactors are commonly used to compress and spread material, such as trash in a landfill or dirt at a building site. Compactors often have drum-type metal wheels with a plurality of rows of replaceable teeth attached to the outside surfaces of the wheels. The teeth provide traction to the compactor, as well as concentrating the weight of the machine on a small area to increase compression force on the underlying material.  
           [0003]    Dirt and debris can become stuck to the wheel between the teeth, particularly in damp conditions or if the soil has a high clay content, such as that found in the southwestern United States. If such debris builds up sufficiently to clog the spaces of the wheel surface between, and roughly to the height of, the teeth, the teeth cannot dig into the ground. Build-up of this severity can cause loss of traction and/or poor compaction.  
           [0004]    The generally accepted practice to avoid build-up involves mounting stationary cleaner fingers on a portion of the work machine such that, as the wheels rotate, the cleaner fingers scrape or deflect debris from between the rows of teeth before it has a chance to build up. An example of this type of cleaner finger arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,288, issued Nov. 1, 1994 to William N. O&#39;Neill et al. (hereafter referenced as &#39;288).  
           [0005]    The &#39;288 cleaner finger assembly includes a replaceable cleaner tooth having an arcuate upper surface, a trailing lower surface, and a fastening portion. However, the complexity of the tooth makes it expensive to produce, and the attachment method requires an operator to remove the tooth from below a mounting beam when changing the tooth, which may be an awkward or uncomfortable position for the operator. Additionally, the &#39;288 cleaner finger assembly requires mirror-image cleaner fingers on either side of the wheel, at double the cost of a single system, to provide complete scraping functions when the machine moves both forward and backward because of the angle of the tooth in relation to the wheel.  
           [0006]    The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cleaner finger assembly, including a support member and a cleaner finger, is disclosed. The support member defines a longitudinal axis and has three or more leg portions. The cleaner finger is attached to one of the leg portions and extends away from the longitudinal axis.  
           [0008]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a work machine, including a machine body, an operator compartment carried by the machine body, and a ground engaging system providing motive power to the machine body is disclosed. The ground engaging system includes at least one wheel having a wheel axis, at least one compactor tooth attached to the wheel, and at least one wheel cleaner assembly associated with the wheel. The wheel cleaner assembly includes a mounting beam attached to the machine body near the wheel and extending out from the machine body in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis, and a cleaner finger assembly. The cleaner finger assembly has a support member having three or more leg portions, attached to the mounting beam, and partially surrounding the mounting beam; and a cleaner finger, attached to one of the leg portions and extending away from the mounting beam in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis.  
           [0009]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of replacing a cleaner finger of a cleaner finger assembly is disclosed. The cleaner finger is attached to a support member having three or more leg portions. The method includes the steps of removing a first cleaner finger from the support member, supplying a second cleaner finger, and attaching the second cleaner finger to the support member. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a side view of a work machine incorporating an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cleaner finger assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of mounted cleaner finger assemblies according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view, taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3, of a plurality of mounted cleaner finger assemblies according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring first to FIG. 1, a work machine  100  includes a machine body  102 , an operator compartment  104  carried by the machine body  102 , and a ground-engaging system (shown generally at  106 ) providing motive power to the machine body  102 . The ground-engaging system  106  includes at least one wheel  108  having a wheel axis (shown end-on at  110 ). At least one compactor tooth  112  is attached to the wheel  108 . Preferably, a plurality of compactor teeth  112  are arranged in rows in a known manner. The wheel  108  may oscillate in a known manner as the machine travels. The ground-engaging system  106  also includes at least one wheel cleaner assembly  114  incorporating an embodiment of the present invention, set forth in detail below and including a mounting beam and a cleaner finger assembly  200 . The wheel cleaner assembly  114  may be mounted in front of or behind the wheel  108 . In addition, multiple wheel cleaner assemblies  114  can be associated with each wheel  108 . Furthermore, each wheel cleaner assembly  114  may be mounted at any suitable angle with respect to the wheel axis  110 . The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is for exemplary purposes only.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cleaner finger assembly  200 , which includes a support member  202 , which defines a longitudinal axis  204 , and a cleaner finger  206 . The support member  202  has three or more leg portions  208 . By “leg portion”, what is meant is a roughly planar piece of material which forms the support member in cooperation with other leg portions. The support member  202  depicted in FIG. 2 has a top leg portion  210  which is substantially parallel to a bottom leg portion  212 . The top and bottom leg portions  210 , 212  are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis  204 . A vertical leg portion  214  connects the top and bottom leg portions  210 , 212 , and the cleaner finger  206  is attached to the vertical leg portion  214 . Other suitable leg portion  208  arrangements which fall under the scope of the present invention include: a horizontal leg portion connecting two vertical leg portions  214  to one of which the cleaner finger  206  is attached, with the horizontal leg portion being a top or bottom leg portion  210 , 212  depending upon the orientation of the cleaner finger  206 ; and an arrangement of four or more leg portions  208 , possibly forming a closed structure through which another component can be inserted. The top leg portion  210  shown in FIG. 2 includes a thickened portion, or leg portion extension  216 , which may serve a reinforcement or spacing purpose, but is not present on the bottom leg portion  212  shown and is optional for all leg portions  208  in the present invention. Such leg portion extension  216  may be a separate piece, or attached to or formed integrally with the leg portion  208 , without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Regardless of the arrangement or structure of the leg portions  208 , at least one leg portion  208  defines at least one mounting aperture  218 . The mounting aperture  218  may be a hole, slot, indent, or the like, and need not extend totally through the thickness of the leg portion  208 . The mounting aperture  218  should be operative to receive a mounting fastener (not shown) for attachment of the cleaner finger assembly  200  to another component.  
         [0016]    The cleaner finger  206  is optionally attachable and replaceable, for longer life of the cleaner finger assembly  200 . Preferably, the cleaner finger  206  is formed and attached to the support member  202  in such a way that the cleaner finger  206  breaks away under excessive force to protect other components of the wheel cleaner assembly  114  from damage. The cleaner finger  206  is intended to be a low-cost part, and as such, is simple in form, having four finger sides and a thickness. If the thickness is substantially uniform in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis  204  when mounted, the cleaner finger  206  may be easily cut from a sheet of planar stock material.  
         [0017]    The four main finger sides are a finger attachment side  220  (adapted to be attached to the support member  202 ), a finger end side  222  spaced from and substantially parallel to the finger attachment side  220 , a finger top side  224  extending between the finger attachment side  220  and the finger end side  222 , and a finger bottom side  226  spaced from the finger top side and extending between the finger attachment side  220  and the finger end side  222 . Each of the finger sides  220 , 222 , 224 , 226  may optionally include one or more facets, angles, or curves, which would provide the mounted cleaner finger  206  with a nonuniform cross sectional area as taken at varying distances from the longitudinal axis  204 .  
         [0018]    The finger bottom side  226  is of special interest, as it is preferably curved to provide a concave aspect in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  204 . This concavity is selected to allow for the wheel  108  to oscillate normally without bringing the cleaner finger  206  into contact with the compactor teeth  112 , while still leaving sufficient material in the cleaner finger  206  for desired strength and durability. The finger bottom side  226  shown in FIG. 2 is only an example of a suitably concave structure, and one skilled in the art can readily determine an optimal concavity for any particular wheel cleaner assembly  114  in practice.  
         [0019]    The positioning of the cleaner finger  206  as attached to the support member  202  may also be chosen for optimal performance. Preferably, the cleaner finger  206  is attached to a longitudinally central area of the leg portion  208  in order to minimize the moment forces transferred to the support member  202  from the cleaner finger  206 .  
         [0020]    A preferred mounting of the cleaner finger assembly  200  to the work machine  100  is shown in FIG. 3. The structure depicted is a portion of the wheel cleaner assembly  114  as attached to the work machine  100 , with the wheel  108  removed for clarity. The wheel axis  110  provides a visual indication of the usual positioning of the wheel  108 .  
         [0021]    A plurality of cleaner finger assemblies  200  are removably attached to a mounting beam  302 , which is in turn attached to the machine body  102 . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting beam  302  extends out from the machine body  102  in a direction substantially parallel to the wheel axis  110 .  
         [0022]    The cleaner finger assemblies  200  are shown in FIG. 3 as being identical, but may be formed or mounted differently from one another along the length of the mounting beam  302  as needed. The mounting beam  302  shown is rectangular in cross-section, but any suitable cross-section, including but not limited to circular, ellipsoid, hexagonal, L-shaped, or the like, may be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the mounting beam  302  may be either hollow/tubular or solid, but will be discussed below as being a hollow rectangular beam.  
         [0023]    The attachment of the cleaner finger assemblies  200  to the mounting beam  302  is shown best in FIG. 4, a cross-section through the wheel cleaner assembly  114  taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3. The support member  202  partially surrounds the mounting beam  302  (in the case of a four or more sided support member  202 , the mounting beam  302  may be completely surrounded) and is attached to the mounting beam  302 . Though this may be accomplished in any known or suitable manner, the mounting connection depicted in FIG. 4 uses an optional mounting block  402  as an intermediate component to assist with the absorption and dispersal of forces from the cleaner finger assembly  200 . The mounting block  402  is inserted through one or more beam apertures  404  formed in the mounting beam  302 . The mounting block  402  defines at least one block aperture  406 , shown in phantom view. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a mounting fastener  408  is inserted through a first mounting aperture  218  in the support member  202 , through the block aperture  406 , and through a second mounting aperture  218  in the support member  202  to attach the support member  202  to the mounting beam  302 . Many other attachment methods are contemplated by the present invention including those where the beam aperture  404  and/or the block aperture  406  are of any suitable shape and extend partially or fully through the mounting beam  302  and mounting block  402 , should one be included, respectively.  
         [0024]    Industrial Applicability  
         [0025]    As the work machine  100  travels back and forth at the compaction work site, the wheel cleaner assembly  114  stays stationary relative to the work machine  100  while the wheels  108  rotate, bringing the wheels  108  past the cleaner fingers  206  which perform the debris-removal function. Should one or more cleaner fingers  206  become damaged or break away from the support members  202 , the operator can supply a replacement cleaner finger  206  and attach it to the support member  202  without having to dissemble the entire wheel cleaner assembly  114 . In addition, the operator may use an undamaged cleaner finger  206  or a supplied outline as a template to form a new replacement cleaner finger  206 —for example, cutting the cleaner finger  206  from a scrap sheet of steel of the desired type. This allows the operator to eliminate the stocking of spare cleaner fingers  206  and even the necessity of purchasing the cleaner fingers  206  premade, which could lead to substantial cost savings in the operation of the work machine  100 .  
         [0026]    Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.

Summary:
A work machine, such as a landfill or soil compactor, includes at least one wheel having a plurality of compactor tips. Often, debris or dirt builds up on the wheel between the compactor tips and must be removed. A cleaner finger assembly, including a support member having at least three leg portions and a cleaner finger attached to one of the leg portions is mountable to the work machine. As the wheel rotates, the relatively stationary cleaner finger assembly removes material which would otherwise cause build-up between the compactor tips on the wheel.