Patent ID: 8789741

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: a handle assembly; a trigger assembly comprising: a primary trigger movably supported on said handle assembly; and a secondary trigger movably supported relative to said primary trigger and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises: an actuation system operably supported by said handle assembly and configured to generate at least two separate actuation motions, said actuation system comprising: a carriage operably supported by said handle assembly for selective axial travel relative thereto from an unactuated position to an actuated position upon application of a first stroke to said primary trigger to generate a first one of said actuation motions; and a first actuation rack operably supported by said handle assembly and operably interfacing with a clutch assembly to generate a second one of said actuation motions upon application of a second stroke to said primary trigger and wherein said secondary trigger is configured to interface with said primary trigger such that upon application of said first stroke to said primary trigger, said secondary trigger moves said carriage from said unactuated position to said actuated position to enable said clutch assembly to move from an unengaged position to an engaged position.