What are these tools used for?
The top tools appear to be dies - used for cutting screw threads on rods.  The lower tool appears to be a tap wrench (a tap is a tool a little like a drill bit, but used for cutting threads inside a hole).  The "winding and unwinding" action is to allow it to clamp to the tap; the wrench is then used to turn the tap in the hole.  The dies would also have had a wrench or handle with which to grip and turn them around the workpiece.

They are for use on metal.

See Wikipedia- Tap and die for more detail.