Surgical fastening apparatus with a rotary end effector drive shaft for selective engagement with a motorized drive system

A surgical fastening apparatus, comprising:

• a motorized drive system;
• an end effector, comprising:
• a channel configured to operably support a removable staple cartridge that includes surgical staples stored therein that are ejected from the removable staple cartridge as an ejector that is movably supported therein is moved from a starting position to an ending position in the removable staple cartridge;
• and
• a rotary end effector drive shaft movably supported by said channel between an engaged position wherein said rotary end effector drive shaft is rotatable by said motorized drive system and a disengaged position wherein said rotary end effector drive shaft is not rotatable by said motorized drive system, said rotary end effector drive shaft being retained in said disengaged position unless the removable staple cartridge has been operably installed within said channel and the ejector thereof is in the starting position;
• a retainer in said end effector for releasably retaining said rotary end effector drive shaft in said disengaged position;
• and
• a biasing element movably supported in said end effector for operable engagement by the ejector of the removable staple cartridge when the removable staple cartridge has been operably installed in said channel so as to initially bias said rotary end effector drive shaft into said engaged position.

A surgical fastening apparatus, comprising:

• a motorized drive system;
• and
• an end effector, comprising:
• a channel configured to operably support a removable staple cartridge that includes surgical staples stored therein that are ejected from the removable staple cartridge as an ejector that is movably supported therein is moved from a starting position to an ending position in the removable staple cartridge;
• a rotary end effector drive shaft movably supported by said channel between an engaged position wherein said rotary end effector drive shaft is rotatable by said motorized drive system and a disengaged position wherein said rotary end effector drive shaft is not rotatable by said motorized drive system;
• a retainer configured to releasably retain said rotary end effector drive shaft in said disengaged position;
• and
• a biasing member axially movable from a first unactuated position to a biasing position, wherein said biasing member initially moves said rotary end effector drive shaft to said engaged position when said biasing member is operably engaged by said ejector that is in said starting position in the removable staple cartridge that is operably installed in the channel.

A surgical fastening apparatus, comprising:

• a motorized drive system;
• and
• an end effector, comprising:
• a channel configured to operably support a removable staple cartridge that includes surgical staples stored therein that are ejected from the removable staple cartridge as an ejector that is movably supported therein is moved from a starting position to an ending position in the removable staple cartridge;
• a rotary end effector drive shaft movably supported by said channel between an engaged position wherein said rotary end effector drive shaft is rotatable by said motorized drive system and a disengaged position wherein said rotary end effector drive shaft is not rotatable by said motorized drive system;
• means for releasably retaining said rotary end effector drive shaft in said disengaged position;
• and
• means for moving said rotary end effector drive shaft between said engaged position and said disengaged position, said means for moving being operably responsive to the position of the ejector of the removable staple cartridge that is installed in the channel such that the means for moving only moves the rotary end effector drive shaft to the engaged position when the ejector is in the starting position.