BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to sailing equipment. The invention more specifically relates to a sail handling mechanism and method for raising and lowering the sail. 
     2. Background 
     Sails used on sailboats have historically been generally triangular in shape. The forward upper corner is called the head, the forward lower corner is called the tack, and the rear corner is called the clew. The forward edge of the sail between the head and the tack is called the luff, the lower edge of the sail between the tack and the clew is called the foot, and the aft edge between the head and the clew—the diagonal edge—is called the leach. 
       FIG. 1  shows a prior art sail  100 . In a typical configuration, the foot of the sail is attached, at least semi-permanently, to the boom  110 . The luff of the sail is attached to the mast  120  by a variety of means, the choice of attachment mechanism being determined generally by the sizes of the boat and of the sail. For relatively large sails, multiple sail slides  130  may be attached to the luff at discrete intervals. The sail slides  130  are received in a compatible track which is attached to the mast. The sail slides travel up and down the mast when the sail is raised and lowered (unfurled and furled). 
     Much of the load in the unfurled sail is concentrated at the head. It is therefore common practice to heavily reinforce the head corner, and to attach to the head a rigid plastic or metal board or a steel ring called a headboard  140 . The headboard may then be attached to the track with one or more sail slides  130 . More typically, the headboard is attached to the track with a special type of slide called a headcar or a headboard carriage. 
     To unfurl a sail, the sail is hauled aloft by raising the headcar and the sail slides along the track. The headcar is raised with a line, called a halyard  150 , which is fastened to the headboard  140  and passes through a mast truck  160  at the top of the mast  120 . One of the advantages of using multiple sail slides  130  to furl and unfurl a sail is that when the sail is dropped (furled), the slides  130  collapse against each other into a stack. The sail is folded (flaked) between the slides  130  and rests on top of the boom  110 . 
     The most aerodynamically efficient shape for a sail is an ellipse, which is approximated by the trapezoidal shape utilized in most current art sails. Sails with this configuration may be referred to generically as squarehead sails. To maximize the efficiency of the sail, the sailmaker cuts the leach in a curve, called the roach, to provide an expanded sail area aft of the geometric triangle defined by the three corners of the sail. The modified shape allows additional power to be generated from the sail. 
     To support the large sail area aft of the geometric triangle and to eliminate fluttering in the otherwise unsupported leach, a common practice is to distribute stiffening elements, called battens  170 , along the leach. The battens  170  are made of wood, fiberglass, or other suitable materials, and are oriented roughly parallel to the boom  110  so that when the sail  100  is furled, the battens  170  lie in a tight bundle on top of one another along the boom  110 . 
     The battens  170  may extend from luff to leach, with an aft leach end of each batten  170  secured in a pocket on the leach, and a forward luff end connected to a special sail slide  130  called a batten car. The batten cars are designed to resist the compression forces in the batten  170  caused by the tension in the curved leach of the unfurled sail, and to reduce friction in the sail furling/unfurling mechanism. The use of the specially designed batten cars has led to increased height of the stack of slides, commonly called the stack height, when the sail is furled. 
     The increased stack height becomes an issue only because in order to support the upper aft corner of a squarehead sail, the uppermost batten  170  may be set at a steep angle relative to the foot of the sail  100 . The angle helps the batten  170  to resist the compression forces caused by the tension in the sail fabric. A triangle of sail cloth—bounded by the headcar, the uppermost batten car, and the leach end of the uppermost batten  170 —supports the uppermost batten  170  when the sail  100  is being dropped, so that the uppermost batten  170  may not properly fold down onto the boom  110 . Therefore in order to properly furl the sail  100 , the uppermost batten  170  must be detached from its diagonal position, either by removing the aft end of the batten  170  from the leach pocket, or by detaching the headboard  140  from the headcar. 
     The requirement of detaching the uppermost batten  170  can be problematic because with even fairly common boat and sail dimensions, it is not uncommon for the combined boom height, sail slide stack height, and length of the uppermost batten  170  to leave the leach end of the uppermost batten  170  and the headboard at a height—which may be twelve feet or more—above the deck that is unreachable by anyone standing on the deck. 
     On racing boats it is common to have a large crew who are used to climbing the mast for various reasons. It is therefore no great problem to send a crewman up the mast far enough to either remove the diagonal batten from the leach pocket, or to detach the headboard from the headcar to allow the sail to be properly furled, and to reverse the procedure when the sail is hoisted. However, on a cruising boat without a large crew, it is both inconvenient and potentially dangerous to have to climb the mast to set or furl the sail. To date, this problem has limited the application of the more efficiently constructed sails, as described above, on cruising boats. 
     Therefore, for the safety and convenience reasons discussed above, there is a need for a mechanism that allows an operator of a boat with relatively large sails to attach and detach a headboard  140  from a headcar without leaving the deck of the boat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various embodiments of the present invention provide a mechanism to automatically secure a headboard to a headcar during the hoisting of a sail, and to automatically detach the headboard from the headcar when the sail is lowered. The system employing the mechanism allows the operator of the boat to remain on the deck for the entire furling and unfurling operations. The necessity of climbing the mast to manually detach and re-attach the uppermost batten is eliminated. 
     The mechanism includes a headcar movably secured to a mast and a headboard affixed to a sail. The headcar pivots about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast to track the motion of the sail. 
     A halyard in communication with both the headcar and the headboard supplies the motive force to raise and lower the sail. When the sail is lowered, the headboard is separated from the headcar, thereby allowing an uppermost batten to lay flat against the boom so that the sail can be easily secured. 
     To raise the sail, a pulling force is applied to the halyard, moving the headcar up a track in the mast. As the sail is raised, the headboard engages the headcar. A securing element holds the headboard in position adjacent the headcar. 
     The headboard may include a receiving cavity that receives at least a portion of the headcar when the headboard is engaged with the headcar. The headcar may include a nosepiece to facilitate the engagement of the headcar with the headboard. 
     The headcar may also include a pivoting toggle. The toggle may pivot upward and contact a portion of the headboard to hold the headboard in position engaged with the headcar. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is an illustration of an unfurled prior art squarehead sail. 
         FIG. 1B  is an illustration of a furled prior art squarehead sail. 
         FIG. 2A  shows a squarehead sail raised to an unfurled position with the sail handling mechanism disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 2B  shows a squarehead sail as it is being furled with the sail handling mechanism disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 2C  shows a squarehead sail lowered to a furled position with the sail handling mechanism disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 3A  shows a squarehead sail raised to the unfurled position with the sail handling mechanism utilizing an alternate configuration for the halyard. 
         FIG. 3B  shows a squarehead sail as it is being furled with the alternate configuration for the halyard. 
         FIG. 3C  shows a squarehead sail lowered to the furled position with the alternate configuration of the halyard. 
         FIG. 4A  shows a squarehead sail raised to the unfurled position with the sail handling mechanism utilizing a second alternate configuration of the halyard. 
         FIG. 4B  shows a squarehead sail as it is being furled with the second alternate configuration of the halyard. 
         FIG. 4C  shows a squarehead sail lowered to the furled position with the second alternate configuration of the halyard. 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a single halyard attached to a headcar and urging a headboard toward the headcar. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates the headboard of  FIG. 5A  mated with the headcar. 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates a single halyard attached to a first headcar and urging a headboard toward the first headcar, the halyard then passing through a sheave on a second headcar. 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates the headboard of  FIG. 6A  mated with the first headcar. 
         FIG. 7A  illustrates a double halyard attached to a headcar with a toggle and urging a headboard toward the headcar. 
         FIG. 7B  illustrates the headboard of  FIG. 7A  mated with the headcar with a toggle. 
         FIG. 8A  shows a single halyard attached to a headcar. 
         FIG. 8B  illustrates a double halyard with a pair of sheaves in the headcar. 
         FIG. 9A  depicts a single halyard affixed to a headcar with a toggle. 
         FIG. 9B  shows another configuration of a headcar with a toggle and a single halyard. 
         FIG. 9C  shows another configuration of a headcar with a toggle and a double halyard. 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates a headboard with multiple sail attachment points and with hinged members. 
         FIG. 10B  illustrates a fixed, rigid headboard with multiple sail attachment points. 
         FIG. 10C  is a side view of the headboard shown in  FIG. 10B . 
         FIG. 11  shows the two axes of rotation of a headboard utilized in the sail handling mechanism. 
         FIG. 12  shows a “block and tackle” halyard arrangement in combination with a headcar with a toggle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides a system for raising and lowering a sail on a sailboat. As a user lowers an unfurled sail, the headboard disengages from a corresponding headcar. With the headboard disengaged, the uppermost batten and the head of the luff of the sail are free to move away from the mast as the sail is furled. The uppermost batten folds down to a position generally parallel to the other battens, and the sail assumes a properly folded position resting on the boom. To unfurl the sail, the user applies a pulling force with a halyard. As the pulling force raises the sail, the headboard engages the headcar so that the sail is raised to a fully deployed position. 
       FIGS. 2A-C  illustrate the general operation of the system  200  of raising and lowering a sail  100 .  FIG. 2A  shows the sail  100  in the unfurled (raised) position. When the sail  100  is in the completely unfurled position shown in  FIG. 2A , a headcar  210  is at its uppermost position on the mast  120 . A headboard  220  is secured in close proximity to the headcar  210 . Since the sail  100  is securely fastened to the headboard  220 , the sail  100  is secured in a fully unfurled position. 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates the system  200  when the sail  100  is in an intermediate position between the fully unfurled position shown in  FIG. 2A  and the fully furled position shown in  FIG. 2C . In the intermediate position, the headcar  210  is separated from the headboard  220  as the sail  100  is lowered. When the sail  100  is in the fully lowered position shown in  FIG. 2C , the battens  170  are stacked together on top of each other on top of the boom  110 . 
     Using the present system  200 , an operator of the sailboat is able to furl and unfurl the sail  100  without leaving the deck of the sailboat. This eliminates the bothersome and sometimes dangerous necessity of climbing the mast during the raising and lowering of the sail  100 . 
     In the configuration of the system  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-C , a first end of the halyard  150  is affixed to the mast truck  160 . The halyard  150  passes through the headboard  220  and the headcar  210 . The halyard  150  is then looped back through the headboard  220  and the mast truck  160 . A free second end of the halyard  150  may then be secured in a position where the halyard  150  can be readily accessed by a user of the system  200 . 
     As the sail  100  is lowered from the unfurled position shown in  FIG. 2A , the free end of the halyard  150  is released, so that the sail  100  begins to drop. The headcar  210  begins to move downward in a slide track  1100  (See  FIG. 11 ) on the mast  120 . As the headcar  210  is lowered, the weight of the uppermost portion of the sail  100  pulls the headboard  220  away from the headcar  210  as illustrated in  FIG. 2B . 
     As the sail  100  drops, the uppermost one of the battens  170  moves from a steeply angled position shown in  FIG. 2A  to a position approaching the orientation of the other battens  170  during the drop. When the sail is completely furled, as shown in  FIG. 2C , all the battens  170  are stacked on the boom  110  so that the sail  100  may be easily secured. 
     To reverse the operation and raise the sail  100 , the user applies a pulling force to the free end of the halyard  150 . The tension in the halyard  150  begins to raise the headboard  220  and the sail  100  from the furled position shown in  FIG. 2C . As the headboard  220  and the sail  100  are raised, the headcar  210  also begins to move upward in the slide track  1100  (see  FIG. 11 ) on the mast  120  as shown in  FIG. 2B . 
     As the sail  100  is raised to the unfurled position shown in  FIG. 2A , the headboard  220  mates with the headcar  210  so that the topmost portion of the sail  100  is secured near the top of the mast  120  when the sail is completely unfurled. The present invention encompasses many configurations of the headcar  210  and the headboard  220  that enable the two components to mate as the sail  100  is raised. Various configurations that may be utilized for the headcar  210  and the headboard  220  are discussed in further detail below. 
       FIGS. 3A-C  show an alternate configuration for the halyard  150  in the system  200 . In this configuration, the first end of the halyard  150  is affixed to the mast truck  160  as above. The halyard  150  is then routed to the headcar  210 , then to the headboard  220 , and then back through the mast truck  160 . Operation of the system  200  remains as described above. 
       FIGS. 4A-C  show another alternate configuration for the halyard  150  in the system  200 . In the configuration of  FIGS. 4A-C , the first end of the halyard  150  is affixed to the mast truck  160  as above. The halyard  150  is then routed to the headcar  210 , then to the headboard  220 , then back through the headcar  210 , and then through the mast truck  160 . Operation of the system  200  remains as described above. 
       FIGS. 5A-B  show one working configuration of the headcar  210  and the headboard  220 .  FIG. 5A  illustrates the components as the sail  100  is being raised. The halyard  150  is looped around a sheave  500  of the headboard  220 . As a pulling force is applied to the halyard  150 , the halyard  150  lifts the headboard  220  upward toward the headcar  210  while the headcar  210  moves upward along the slide track  1100  (See  FIG. 11 ) on the mast  120 . 
     As the pulling force continues to be applied to the halyard  150 , the headboard  220  mates with the headcar  210 . The sheave  500  is received in a receiving area  510  of the headcar  210 . The headboard  220  may be secured in position in the headcar  210  by tension in the halyard  150 . 
     In the configuration illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-B , an upper portion  600  of the headcar  210  may be employed. In this configuration, the halyard  150  is routed from the headcar  210  through the sheave  500  of the headboard  220  and then through a sheave  610  of the upper portion  600  of the headcar  210 . 
     The secondary headcar  210  may move independently from the headcar  210  in the slide track  1100  (See  FIG. 11 ) on the mast  120 . Alternatively, the upper portion  600  may be movably or fixedly coupled to the headcar  210 . In configurations that include an upper portion  600  that is independent from or movably coupled with the headcar  210 , when the sail  100  reaches the unfurled position, the upper portion  600  is pulled into a position adjacent to the headcar  210  as illustrated in  FIG. 6B . 
     A pivotable toggle  700  may be utilized to aid in the securing of the headboard  220  to the headcar  210  as illustrated in  FIGS. 7A-B . The toggle  700  extends outward from the headcar  210  and pivots about an axle  710 . The toggle  700  may include at least one sheave  720 . In the configuration shown in  FIGS. 7A-B , a typical double halyard arrangement, the halyard  150  is looped around both the toggle sheave  720  and the headboard sheave  500 .  FIG. 7A  illustrates that tension from a pulling force applied to the halyard  150  extends the toggle  700  and urges the headboard  220  toward the headcar  210 . 
     As the sail  100  continues to be raised, the toggle  700  may be received in a hollow interior or cavity  1000  (See  FIG. 10 ) in the headboard  220  as shown in  FIG. 7B . The tension in the halyard  150  pivots the toggle  700  upward to a raised position during the unfurling process. When the sail  100  is fully raised, the headboard sheave  500  is secured in the receiving area  510  of the headcar  210 . The toggle  700  will remain in the raised position so long as tension is maintained in the halyard  150 . In various embodiments, when the toggle  700  is in the raised position, the toggle  700  may be angled slightly aft so that the halyard  150  is held away from the mast  120  and produces a force (so long as there is tension in the halyard) that maintains a secure connection between the headboard  220  and headcar  210 . 
     It should be noted that a one-part halyard is illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-B  and  7 A-B, while other figures show a two-part halyard configuration. Those skilled in the art will recognize that either a one-part or two-part configuration may be utilized for any of the various configurations of the headcar  210  and the headboard  220 . 
     As indicated above, the headcar  210  may have many conformations.  FIG. 8A  shows a headcar  210  used with a single halyard and  FIG. 8B  shows a headcar  210  in a double halyard installation. It should be noted that various embodiments of the headcar  210  may include a nosepiece  800 . The nosepiece  800  guides the headcar  210  into a hollow interior or receiving cavity  1000  of the headboard  220 . 
       FIGS. 9A-C  show various configurations for the headcar  210  when a toggle  700  is utilized. In various embodiments, the toggle  700  may include a nosepiece  900  that guides the headcar  210  into a hollow interior or receiving cavity  1000  (See  FIG. 10 ) of the headboard  220 . In some embodiments, the nosepiece  900  may be a band covering an opening for a sheave. 
       FIGS. 10A-C  show headboards  220  that may be attached to the sail  100  at multiple attachment points. Also visible in  FIG. 10C  is the hollow interior of the headboard  220  that forms the receiving cavity  1000 . 
       FIG. 11  illustrates several movements that the headcar  210  may make. As described above, during sail raises and drops the headcar  210  travels up and down in the slide track  1100  on the mast  120 . 
     The headcar  210  may also include a pivot mechanism  1110  that allows the headcar  210  to rotate about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast  120 . The pivot mechanism  1110  allows the headcar  210  to track the movement of the sail  100 . 
     As discussed above with reference to multiple embodiments, the headcar  210  may also include an axle  710  which allows the toggle  700  to rotate about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mast  120 . 
       FIG. 12  illustrates an embodiment of the headcar  210  with a block and tackle arrangement in which multiple turns of the halyard  150  are taken around the at least one sheave  720  in the toggle  700 . The multiple turns of the halyard  150  provide the user additional mechanical advantage, which may be particularly useful with larger sails  100 . 
     The embodiments described herein are illustrative of the present invention. As these embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to illustrations, various modifications or adaptations of the methods and or specific structures described may become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the descriptions and illustrations herein. All such modifications, adaptations, or variations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention, and through which these teachings have advanced the art, are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hence, these descriptions and drawings should not be considered in a limiting sense, as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to only the embodiments illustrated.
A mechanism to raise and lower the sail of a boat includes a headcar movably secured to a mast of the boat and a headboard affixed to the sail. A pulling force applied to a halyard raises the sail and causes the headboard to engage the headcar. When the sail is lowered, the headboard disengages from the headcar so that the sail furls flat on the boom.