My educated guess would be for Wick feed/burners for a lighthouse??

Being a very long standing Lighthouse researcher, and having a related collection of lighthouse memorabilia, I am 99.999% certain they have nothing at all to do with lighthouses. The old “Oil Burners” as the Whale oil burners were known as, gave way to Gas, which gave way to electric bulbs, and which are now Solar assisted, Guess the Lighthouse theory is off the list.;)
Jim.

Lincoln .7