Sanitary fitting for fluid handling equipment

A threaded sanitary fitting for an equipment housing, comprising:

• a non-threaded tubular insert, which is insertable axially into a housing socket of an equipment housing, said insert having a main tubular body, which extends axially, is cylindrical and terminates at an end portion, said end portion including an annular flange which projects radially outwardly from said main tubular body so as to seat at a bottom of said housing socket when installed, said flange including a top flange face and a bottom flange face, which face axially away from each other in opposite upward and downward directions, a gasket groove provided in said bottom flange face, and a first gasket received in said groove provided in said bottom flange face, which said first gasket is positioned in said groove for axial contact with an opposing surface of said housing socket when installed, said gasket groove opening axially downwardly on an axially downward side of said bottom flange face to generate said axial contact between the bottom flange face and the opposing surface and radially inwardly on a radially inward side to allow any deformed portion of said first gasket to be squeezed radially inwardly through said radially inward side;
• and
• an externally-threaded nut which has an annular bore surface so that said nut is slidable downwardly over said insert along said main tubular body to abut axially against said top flange face of said flange, an exterior of said nut including a threaded nut surface engageable with an opposing threaded surface of a housing socket to drive said inert axially into the housing socket and retain said insert tightly therein to axially compress said first gasket, an inner face of said nut between a driving section and a threaded nose, which defines said threaded nut surface, including a second gasket, wherein said second gasket acts against said equipment housing to prevent entry of debris into said threaded nut surface;
• and
• a third gasket being provided between an interior surface of said nut and an outer tube surface of said main tubular body of said insert.