I'm going to stick my big Slovenian nose where it doesn't belong, and hope that it doesn't get smacked too hard. I am in the process of building an automated furler based on the following pictures, The pics may answer some questions which have been posed here. Then again, they may be totally irrelevant.
This furler is powered by a record player motor and controlled by the toggle switch. The wooden disc travels up the leader as it twists, and you are able to tell when the furling process is completed, as it stops at the 1/2" dowel. Pretty neat setup, and I watched these guys doing this for 5 years. In a previous thread, they are referred to as "The Boys From Mansfield, Ohio."
Joe