I know what they do (attach to the pedal), but what are they for?
Looks to me like for giving you much less grip, which is what every cock and his dog needs on a pedal.
Erm.......................
They're just for converting to a platform pedal. Campag had some bizarre ideas back then and weren't entirely committed or resolved in their MTB intentions.
A lot of their stuff was used on touring bikes and tandems, and they did their funny clips as well. http://www.oldklein.com/vanha/kleinit/C ... GunII9.jpg