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In older houses a fuse, short for 'fusible link', is a type of overcurrent protection device. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows. When the metal strip melts, it opens the circuit of which it is a part, and so protects the circuit from excessive current. When you pull wire through a whole in a metal box the wire must be protected from getting chaffed and shorting out on the box. These clamps hold the wire still preventing future fire hazards.