Rotor blade for rotary-winged aircraft

Claim 1

A ROTOR BLADE FOR A JET-PROPELLED AIRCRAFT-SUSTAININGROTOR,HAVING A SPANWISE-EXTENDING GAS-CONDUCTING PASSAGEWAY TERMINATING IN A GAS-EXPELLING THRUST-PRODUCING OUTLET AT THE DISTAL END OF THE BLADE, SAID BLADE COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF AIRFOIL-SHAPED SEGMENTS DISPOSED IN SERIES ALONG THE SPANWISE AXIS OF THE BLADE, SAID SEGMENTS INCLUDINGING LEADING EDGE SECTIONS, TRAILING EDGE SECTIONS AND INTERMEDIATE BOX-LIKE SECTIONS INTERCONNECTING THE LEADING AND TRAILING EDGE SECTIONS CHORDWISE OF THE BLADE, SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER SKIN-PORTIONS, AND GAS-CONDUCTING DUCTS ARRANGED SPANWISE OF THE BLADE IN GAS-CONDUCTING RELATIONSHIP SO AS TO CONSTITUTE SAID PASSAGEWAY; AND ARTICULATING MEMBERS INTERCONNECTING SAID SEGMENTS SUCH AS TO PROVIDE SAID BLADE WITH TORSIONAL RIGIDITY FOR RESISTING FORCES ACTING TO TWIST THE BLADE ABOUT ITS SPANWISE AXIS AND WITH SPANWISE FLEXIBILITY OF A CHARACTER SUCH THAT FLAPWISE BENDING OF THE BLADE CAN OCCUR WITHOUT BENDING SAID SEGMENTS SAID ARTICULATING MEMBERS COMPRISING BELLOW-LIKE ELEMENTS HAVING CIRCUMFENENTIAL FLANGES RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE UPPER AND LOWER SKIN-PORTIONS OF THE INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS.