Benefit Plans (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2009
Mortgage and asset-backed securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	$ 165,042	$ 160,189
Mortgage and asset-backed securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Mortgage and asset-backed securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	165,042	160,189
Mortgage and asset-backed securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Corporate bonds [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	111,954	109,331
Corporate bonds [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Corporate bonds [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	111,954	109,331
Corporate bonds [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Corporate bonds [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	34,905	36,541
Corporate bonds [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Corporate bonds [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	34,905	36,541
Corporate bonds [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	41,885	41,175
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	26,577	21,416
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	15,308	19,759
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	1,065	0
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	1,065	0
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Government and agency-U.S [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	6,836	15,960
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	6,836	15,960
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	77,949	65,561
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	36,687	34,387
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	41,262	31,174
Government and agency-Foreign [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Other [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	8,277	3,337
Other [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Other [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	8,277	3,337
Other [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Other [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	8,797
Other [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Other [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	8,797
Other [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	562,047	631,877
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	435,847	396,188
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	126,200	235,689
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Equity Securities [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	215,309	220,102
Equity Securities [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	201,325	207,577
Equity Securities [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	13,726	12,258
Equity Securities [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	258	267	494
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	37,237	42,681
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	37,237	42,681
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	1,191	6,478
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	1,191	6,478
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Real Estate [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	10,688	9,486
Real Estate [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Real Estate [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Real Estate [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	10,688	9,486	8,987
Insurance Contracts [Member] | Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	78,345	62,333
Insurance Contracts [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Insurance Contracts [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	89
Insurance Contracts [Member] | Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	78,345	62,244	59,078
U.S. plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	933,278	1,004,550
U.S. plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	499,661	460,285
U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	433,617	544,265
U.S. plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Foreign plans [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	419,452	409,298
Foreign plans [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	240,268	248,442
Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	89,893	88,859
Foreign plans [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair values of pension plan assets
Fair value of plan assets	$ 89,291	$ 71,997	$ 68,559