Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013	Feb. 28, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 327,770	$ 300,468	$ 667,326	$ 608,277
Cost of products sold	203,323	184,290	411,099	367,731
Gross profit	124,447	116,178	256,227	240,546
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	79,240	73,339	161,158	148,199
Amortization of intangible assets	6,226	5,968	12,441	12,002
Operating profit	38,981	36,871	82,628	80,345
Financing costs, net	6,262	6,260	13,012	12,582
Intercompany expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income), net	1,326	(37)	2,467	607
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	31,393	30,648	67,149	67,156
Income tax expense	9,089	4,814	11,840	10,771
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	22,304	25,834	55,309	56,385
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Earnings from continuing operations	22,304	25,834	55,309	56,385
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	19,088	2,601	22,120	8,393
Net earnings	41,392	28,435	77,429	64,778
Comprehensive income (loss)	45,789	16,464	98,829	64,982
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	43,595	47,407	88,686	93,245
Cost of products sold	11,992	14,938	24,064	27,347
Gross profit	31,603	32,469	64,622	65,898
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	19,399	17,842	36,257	34,959
Amortization of intangible assets	318	318	636	639
Operating profit	11,886	14,309	27,729	30,300
Financing costs, net	6,499	6,409	13,278	12,767
Intercompany expense (income), net	(12,153)	(4,651)	(17,150)	(11,921)
Other expense (income), net	669	(384)	11,086	(747)
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	16,871	12,935	20,515	30,201
Income tax expense	4,885	2,832	5,893	6,008
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	11,986	10,103	14,622	24,193
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	50,097	18,684	84,319	41,235
Earnings from continuing operations	62,083	28,787	98,941	65,428
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(20,691)	(352)	(21,512)	(650)
Net earnings	41,392	28,435	77,429	64,778
Comprehensive income (loss)	45,789	16,464	98,829	64,982
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	75,203	66,709	154,839	136,899
Cost of products sold	52,009	47,395	107,264	95,698
Gross profit	23,194	19,314	47,575	41,201
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	13,753	14,623	29,705	29,726
Amortization of intangible assets	2,576	2,657	5,151	5,314
Operating profit	6,865	2,034	12,719	6,161
Financing costs, net	0	1	3	6
Intercompany expense (income), net	5,334	(876)	4,995	1,079
Other expense (income), net	(125)	(53)	(418)	(464)
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	1,656	2,962	8,139	5,540
Income tax expense	479	(785)	2,274	(326)
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	1,177	3,747	5,865	5,866
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(23,996)	10,765	(10,663)	28,664
Earnings from continuing operations	(22,819)	14,512	(4,798)	34,530
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	53,156	2,515	56,494	5,378
Net earnings	30,337	17,027	51,696	39,908
Comprehensive income (loss)	34,943	4,840	73,740	33,698
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	208,972	186,352	423,801	378,133
Cost of products sold	139,322	121,957	279,771	244,686
Gross profit	69,650	64,395	144,030	133,447
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	46,088	40,874	95,196	83,514
Amortization of intangible assets	3,332	2,993	6,654	6,049
Operating profit	20,230	20,528	42,180	43,884
Financing costs, net	(237)	(150)	(269)	(191)
Intercompany expense (income), net	6,819	5,527	12,155	10,842
Other expense (income), net	782	400	(8,201)	1,818
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	12,866	14,751	38,495	31,415
Income tax expense	3,725	2,767	3,673	5,089
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	9,141	11,984	34,822	26,326
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	867	(589)	4,067	435
Earnings from continuing operations	10,008	11,395	38,889	26,761
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(13,377)	438	(12,862)	3,665
Net earnings	(3,369)	11,833	26,027	30,426
Comprehensive income (loss)	(5,804)	12,009	21,867	38,028
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	0	0	0	0
Financing costs, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(26,968)	(28,860)	(77,723)	(70,334)
Earnings from continuing operations	(26,968)	(28,860)	(77,723)	(70,334)
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	(26,968)	(28,860)	(77,723)	(70,334)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (29,139)	$ (16,849)	$ (95,607)	$ (71,726)