Interchangeable surgical tool assembly with a surgical end effector that is selectively rotatable about a shaft axis

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis;
• a surgical end effector operably interfacing with said elongate shaft assembly for selective rotation relative to said elongate shaft assembly about said shaft axis, said surgical end effector comprising a firing member configured for selective axial movement therein in response to an application of at least one rotary control motion thereto;
• means for selectively locking said surgical end effector in any one of a plurality of predetermined rotary orientations about said shaft axis upon application of an axial locking motion thereto;
• and
• means for applying said at least one rotary control motion to said firing member and at least one rotary positioning motion to said surgical end effector when said means for selectively locking is in an unlocked configuration to position said surgical end effector in a selected one of said predetermined rotary orientations about said shaft axis.

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument, comprising:

• an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis;
• a surgical end effector comprising:
• an elongate channel configured to operably support a surgical staple cartridge therein;
• an anvil supported relative to said elongate channel for selective movement between open and closed positions relative to said elongate channel;
• and
• a cutting member configured for selective axial movement through said elongate channel and said anvil when said anvil is in said closed position in response to an application of at least one rotary control motion thereto and wherein said surgical cutting and fastening instrument further comprises:
• an end effector rotary locking system interfacing with said elongate channel and said elongate shaft assembly and being configured to lock said elongate channel in rotary orientations about said shaft axis upon application of an axial locking motion to said end effector rotary locking system and to unlock said elongate channel for selective rotation about said shaft axis upon application of an axial unlocking motion to said end effector rotary locking system;
• and
• a rotary drive system configured to apply said at least one rotary control motion to said cutting member, said rotary drive system configured to apply at least one rotary positioning motion to said elongate channel when said end effector rotary locking system is in an unlocked configuration to position said surgical end effector in a selected one of said rotary orientations about said shaft axis.