Hi Bill,
Its a device for (slightly) remote film advance and shutter release, coded OOFRC, and first introduced in 1935. It was last catalogued in 1939. Obviously the camera needs to be tripod mounted.
The photographer operated the contraption by pulling on one string (the one closest to the camera and disappearing behind it in your photo - which should actually be white) to fire the shutter, and on the other one to advance the film and retension the shutter.
All information from Lager III, pp52.
(The other answers are much funnier!
)