Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for coating flowable and pasty materials onto a workpiece, especially for the application of glue and other adhesive substances to the backs of signatures in book binding and the like, uses a rotating roller for applying the material which is partly immersed in a bath thereof and a reversible drive for the roller such that initially the roller is rotated in the direction of movement of the workpiece so as to pick up a thin layer of the material and, as the leading edge of the workpiece reaches the point at which material application commences, the direction of rotation is reversed while the workpiece continues its travel, thereby applying material in a uniform coating without the formation of a glob at the leading edge of the workpiece. Within the reservoir there is provided a dosing chamber having a pair of edges defining gaps with the roller, the upper gap being wider than the lower gap.