It looks as though if your brake pads have 6.5mm of vertical travel down, then you should be able to make it work. 700b rims have a diameter of 635mm, while 700c are 622mm. That's 13mm difference, so 6.5mm each top and bottom. Whether it will practically work, I have no idea, but this the measurement that matters, and that you should check.
EDIT: Oh, rod brakes. What am I talking about? Others more knowledgeable will chime in shortly. Sorry, need coffee... I don't know the first thing about rod brakes...