Patent ID: 8196796

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: an end effector having a selectively reciprocatable implement movably supported therein, said implement being selectively advanceable in a distal direction upon application of a rotary actuation motion thereto and retractable in a proximal direction upon application of a rotary retraction motion thereto; an elongate shaft assembly coupled to said end effector and including a rotatable drive shaft operably engaged with said reciprocatable implement for transmitting said rotary actuation motion and rotary retraction motion thereto, said rotatable drive shaft including a first gear and a second gear; and a firing drive comprising: a first rotary drive member including a plurality of first gear teeth selectively interfacing with said first gear to apply said rotary actuation motion thereto when activated; and a second rotary drive member including a plurality of second gear teeth operably engaged with said second gear to apply said rotary retraction motion thereto when said first rotary drive member is deactivated and said second rotary drive member is activated.