Surgical cutting and stapling instruments with independent jaw control features

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising:

• a housing;
• an elongated shaft assembly operably coupled to the housing;
• a surgical end effector, comprising:
• an elongated channel configured to support a surgical staple cartridge therein, the elongated channel movably coupled to a distal end of the elongated shaft assembly;
• an anvil movably coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft assembly, the anvil and elongated channel being supported for movable travel toward and away from each other;
• and
• a firing member operably supported for selective operable travel within the surgical end effector and wherein the surgical instrument further comprises:
• a first jaw closure system operably supported by the housing;
• a first jaw actuator bar operably supported by the elongated shaft assembly and operably interfacing with the elongated channel and the first jaw closure system such that actuation of the first jaw closure system causes the elongated channel to move relative to the anvil;
• a second jaw closure system operably supported by the housing;
• a second jaw actuator bar operably supported by the elongated shaft assembly and operably interfacing with the anvil and the second jaw closure system such that actuation of the second jaw firing system causes the anvil to move relative to the elongated channel;
• a firing system operably supported by the housing and operably interfacing with the firing member such that actuation of the firing system causes the firing member to move axially relative to the elongated channel and the anvil.

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument, comprising:

• a surgical end effector comprising:
• an elongated channel configured to operably support a surgical staple cartridge therein;
• an anvil supported relative to the elongated channel such that the anvil and elongated channel may selectively move toward and away from each other;
• and
• a firing member operably supported for selective axial travel through the surgical staple cartridge and wherein the surgical instrument further comprises:
• means for selectively moving the elongated channel relative to the anvil;
• means for electively moving the anvil relative to the elongated channel;
• and
• means for applying firing motions to the firing member to move the firing member within the surgical staple cartridge.