Not knowing the facts but taking an educated guess I'd say they are probably ashtrays that aren't expensive at all but likely made quite a bit of profit in their time.

Let's say the company buys a (fill in the blank) percentage of extra material for Job A, and a small amount of it is unused so it sets in inventory. Fully paid for (with a small profit) on Job A.
Later, Job B comes along and the flanges are put to use again and added to the job as the (whatever) percent of extra material billed in the bid. Now our flanges have repaid their original purchase price plus profit times 2.
With a little luck the flanges are billed again on Job C, and since they have paid their way in the world they are honorably retired to permanent light duty.

Just hope the tweakers don't realize their scrap value. It would take a huge gang of 112 lb. tweakers to move them tho and everybody knows that crank heads don't function well in organized groups!

Either way, I like them.

JT