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A material spreader system includes an elevated bridge for spanning a section of plastic concrete. A spreader including a hopper having an elongated rectangular slot is translated back and forth across the bridge to dispense a widthwise stream of topping material onto the underlying surface. Vibrati

A material spreader system includes an elevated bridge for spanning a section of plastic concrete. A spreader including a hopper having an elongated rectangular slot is translated back and forth across the bridge to dispense a widthwise stream of topping material onto the underlying surface. Vibration generating elements are coupled at spaced apart intervals to the spreader hopper to provide for a uniform flow of topping material to the slot. A flow control device spans the length of the slot to dispense a continuous stream of topping material from the slot. A rotating metering device meters the flow of topping material through the slot. A motor translates the spreader back and forth across the bridge and rotates the rotating metering device as the spreader moves such that sequential translations of the spreader across the bridge followed by sequential translations of the bridge along the length of the plastic surface covers the entire surface with a uniform blanket of topping material.

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Apparatus for spreading a uniform blanket of topping material onto a surface of plastic material having a length and width, said apparatus comprising: a. a spreader including a hopper for storing a supply of loose topping material and for dispensing a stream of topping material from an elongated slo

Apparatus for spreading a uniform blanket of topping material onto a surface of plastic material having a length and width, said apparatus comprising: a. a spreader including a hopper for storing a supply of loose topping material and for dispensing a stream of topping material from an elongated slot in said hopper as said spreader is translated back and forth along a path; b. bridge means supported above and spanning the width of the plastic surface without contacting the plastic surface and translatable along the length of the plastic surface for providing an elevated path to translate said spreader across a widthwise segment of the plastic surface and for maintaining said spreader vertically spaced above and separated from the plastic surface, said bridge means including guide means for confining said spreader to a fixed path with respect to said bridge means as said spreader is translated back and forth across said bridge means; c. meand coupled to said spreader and extending along the entire length of said elongated slot for metering the discharge of topping material from said hopper at a rate proportional to the translation velocity of said spreader across said bridge means and independent of the vertical spacing between said slot and the plastic surface, said metering means including a gate displaceable between open and closed positions and gate actuator means coupled to said gate for displacing said gate between the open and closed positions; d. means for agitating the topping material within said hopper and in proximity to said elongated slot; e. means coupled to said spreader for vibrating said hopper to maintain a uniform flow of topping material through said elongated slot as said spreader is translated back and forth across said bridge means; f. drive means coupled to said spreader for translating said spreader back and forth across said bridge means; and g. control means coupled to said drive means for controlling the back and forth translation of said spreader along said bridge means and coupled to said vibrating means and to said gate actuator means for energizing said vibration means and displacing said gate into the open position when said drive means is energized; whereby sequential translations of said spreader across said bridge means followed by sequential translations of said bridge means along the length of the plastic surface covers the entire surface with a uniform blanket of topping material.