Yes — those screws are typically safety stops or limit screws. Their job is to prevent the plate from sliding completely out of an Arca-style clamp if the clamp is loosened too much but not fully opened.

On compatible heads/clamps, the screws catch at the ends of the clamp and act as travel limiters. This helps prevent an accidental drop when adjusting the plate position.

They work best when the plate and clamp are similar in length so the stop screws can engage both ends of the clamp. Some users remove them because they can get in the way, such as when placing the plate flat on a table.

Also note that Arca-style plates and clamps are not perfectly standardized: common widths include about 35mm and about 38mm. Safety stops may not work properly if the plate and clamp aren’t well matched.