Income Taxes (Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate to U.S. Statutory Tax Rate) (Details)	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2009
Income Taxes
Statutory tax rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	2.30%	2.40%	1.50%
Foreign tax rate differences	(0.30%)	(1.40%)	(2.10%)
Dividends on stock shares allocated to retirement savings plans	(0.30%)	(0.40%)	(0.50%)
Research credit	(2.70%)	(0.50%)	(3.10%)
Retroactive extension of research credit	(2.10%)	0.00%	(1.70%)
Domestic production activities deduction	(2.10%)	(0.90%)	(0.30%)
Adjustment of tax issues for previous periods and audit settlements	(0.20%)	(5.90%)	(6.60%)
Other items, net	(0.10%)	(0.10%)	0.70%
Effective tax rate	29.50%	28.20%	22.90%

A ratio calculated by dividing the reported amount of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for the period by GAAP-basis pretax income from continuing operations.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

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-Paragraph 47

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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The domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable under enacted tax laws to the Company's pretax income from continuing operations for the period. The "statutory" tax rate is the regular tax rate if there are alternative tax systems.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Publisher FASB

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-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to the deduction for dividends paid to employee stock ownership plans received under enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to the deduction for qualified production activities received under enacted tax laws.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by the difference between statutory income tax rates in foreign jurisdictions and the domestic federal statutory income tax rate recorded during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to all other items not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by the state and local income tax expense or benefit, net of the federal tax benefit (expense) thereon, recorded during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by research tax credits generated or utilized under enacted tax laws during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate attributable to revisions in previously reported amounts of income tax provision and all income tax settlements during the period.

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The portion of the difference between the effective income tax rate and domestic federal statutory income tax rate that can be explained by the restroactive extension of research tax credits to prior periods.

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