Novel rear deck service ladder and handle assembly for combines

A ladder assembly for rear access to a combine harvester comprising:

• (a) a retractable ladder having an upper portion which slidably retracts from deployment into stowed or storage position, and folds against a smaller bottom portion;
• and
• (b) a handle assembly, having a handle connected to the ladder between the upper and lower portion, and allowing said ladder to be manually grasped and manipulated, and pulled into deployment, said handle assembly having integrated therein a tripping element for a latching mechanism which mechanism serves to lock and unlock said ladder in and from storage, and which tripping element strikes a latch, upon rotation of the handle mechanism, and will release said ladder assembly from its storage position to enable deployment;
• and
• (c) said handle assembly being rotatable around a horizontal pivot axis on the ladder assembly which rotation actuates release of said latching member for the retractable ladder assembly.