Levee squeezer

A levee squeezer for rice farming comprising:

• a rigid frame adapted to be coupled to a tow vehicle such as a tractor, said frame having a front, a rear, and a longitudinal axis;
• a tow bar coupled to said frame for attaching said levee squeezer to a quick hitch associated with said tow vehicle, said tow bar rotatable relative to said longitudinal axis and angularly pivotal from side to side facilitating maneuvering of said tractor on uneven terrain;
• first and second, rigid, fixed, levee squeezing blades for engaging the ground to form a levee, said blades secured beneath said frame and extending generally from said frame front to said frame rear in a "V" configuration, said blades forming a wide mouth to the frame front and converging at a narrower levee discharge output beneath the frame rear;
• a wheel system secured to said frame deployable in a first position to transport said squeezer to a field and in a second out-of-the way position for making levees;
• first hydraulic means for selectively activating said wheel system facilitating proper road clearance for towing said squeezer;
• a bar ditch reduction tine system for controlling levee ruts created by said blades, said tine system comprising a pair of spaced-apart tine bars equipped with a plurality of rigid, downwardly projecting tines forced into the ground during levee construction, a transverse tine control axle journalled to said frame, and a pair of tine bar struts extending rearwardly from said tine control axle rearwardly diverging from each other and secured generally perpendicularly to said tine bars;
• and,
• second hydraulic means for selectively actuating said tine system.

A levee squeezer for rice farming comprising:

• a rigid frame adapted to be coupled to a tow vehicle such as a tractor, said frame having a front, a rear, a pair of rearwardly diverging rails, and a longitudinal axis;
• a tow bar coupled to said frame for attaching said levee squeezer to a quick hitch associated with said tow vehicle, said tow bar rotatable about said longitudinal axis and angularly pivotal from side to side facilitating maneuvering of said tractor on uneven terrain;
• first and second, rigid, fixed, levee squeezing blades for engaging the ground to form a levee, said blades secured beneath said frame and extending generally from said frame front to said frame rear in a "V" configuration, said blades forming a wide mouth at the frame front and converging at a narrower levee discharge output beneath the frame rear;
• a wheel system secured to said frame deployable in a first position to transport said squeezer to a field and in a second out-of-the way position for making levees, said wheel system including a lock for mechanically maintaining it in a transport position;
• first hydraulic means for selectively activating said wheel system facilitating proper road clearance for towing said squeezer;
• a tine system for controlling levee ruts created by said blades, said system comprising a pair of spaced-apart tine bars equipped with a plurality of rigid, downwardly projecting tines forced into the ground during levee construction, a transverse tine control axle journalled to said frame, and a pair of the bar struts extending rearwardly from said tine control axle rearwardly diverging from each other and secured perpendicularly to said tine bars, said tine bar struts being generally parallel with and spaced apart from said frame rails, said tine system including a mechanical tine locking system for securing said tine axle against rotation;
• and
• second hydraulic means for selectively vertically positioning said tine system, said first and second hydraulic means being coplanar with one another to facilitate frame stability.