Well a couple of members had the answer. They are presta valve stems. I should have recognized them, but I guess I've become used to modern presta tubes/tires with the plastic caps, forgetting about the alloy caps on the older ones. The knurled ends were indeed alloy caps which did screw off and voila - the presta valve within. Not quite sure why these were included with hubs, except one builds hubs into wheels which need tires, which need valve stems. Bit of a stretch, but I guess there is some connection there. We've become so used to tubes and even cheap tubular tires being throwaway items that it wouldn't occur to many of us now to buy or sell valve stems.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Andrew R Stewart <onetenth@earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Mystery Bolts - What the heck are these??
> To: "Jerome & Elizabeth Moos" <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 10:13 AM
> Jerry- Those bolts look similar to
> current tubeless valves. But I have no real idea what
> they're for, as you can tell.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerome & Elizabeth
> Moos" <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 11:10 AM
> Subject: [CR] Mystery Bolts - What the heck are these??
>
>
> > I've just built up a Duravia-badged Mecadural aluminum
> French randonneur with 50's Normandy circular-hole hubs with
> soild axles and alloy wingnuts.
> >
> > In the bag with the hubs were these bolts. I
> have no clue what they are for, or what connection, if any,
> they have to the hubs. I bought the hubs off French
> eBay, but the aucion has been takn down now, so I can't
> check it to see if any explanation was given for the bolts:
> >
> > http://www.wooljersey.com/
> >
> > The bolts are 5 cm long and about 5 mm in
> diameter. They are alloy and hollow. most of the
> length is threaded, but the ends are smooth and there is a
> knurled section in between. They have a flat washer, a hex
> nut and a knurled nut. The heads are circular with
> round holes - at first I thought the were allen heads, but
> they are round holes, no wrench purchase. The heads
> are marked: Devaud Freres Cluses. Beautifully
> made item, no clue what they are. Anyone?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Jerry Moos
> > Big Spring Texas, USA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
>
>
> Andrew R Stewart
> Rochester, NY