Patent ID: 8146231

Claim:
An insertion tool for a rotary chopper element for a chopper assembly of a combine harvester, which harvester includes an access and installation window in the side thereof through which a rotary chopper element can be inserted for installation within the harvester, which rotary chopper element includes knife blades mounted thereon, said insertion tool comprising an elongated open-ended bed portion with opposed sides extending from a leading end of said bed portion to a trailing end of said bed portion, upon which bed portion the rotary chopper element may rest, and lift members positioned along the sides of said bed portion and configured to accommodate prongs of lifting forks of a forklift, said bed portion configured to receive and to support therein a rotary chopper element as said insertion tool and a supported rotary chopper element are moved to position the rotary chopper element adjacent to the access and installation window for installation into the harvester, wherein said bed portion includes an underlying pan portion having leading and trailing ends and an upper surface, and a slip plate positionable upon said upper surface of said pan portion and slidably movable therealonq, wherein said slip plate includes near a leading end a pair of upstanding tab portions against which knife blades of the rotary chopper assembly are positionable when the rotary chopper element is positioned to rest upon said insertion tool, said installation tool operable to slidably move the rotary chopper element through the access and installation window to position the rotary chopper element within the harvester for mounting thereto.