Discontinued Operations and Divestiture Activities Income Statement and Balance Sheet Summary (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Dec. 13, 2013	May 31, 2014	May 31, 2013	May 31, 2014	May 31, 2013
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Income Statement Disclosures [Abstract]
Asset Impairment Charges				$ 0	$ (170,052)
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0	(139,060)	22,120	(130,667)
Electrical
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Income Statement Disclosures [Abstract]
Net sales		0	74,834	72,139	214,175
Operating income (loss)		0	11,903	(4,873)	25,084
Asset Impairment Charges		0	(170,339)	0	(170,339)
Gain on disposal	34,500	0	0	34,459	0
Income tax expense (benefit)		0	19,376	(7,466)	14,588
Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		$ 0	$ (139,060)	$ 22,120	$ (130,667)

Amount of write-down of assets recognized in the income statement. Includes, but is not limited to, losses from tangible assets, intangible assets and goodwill.

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Amount of gain (loss), before tax expense or benefit and not previously recognized, resulting from the sale of a business component.

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Tax effect allocated to a disposal group that is classified as a component of the entity reported as a separate component of income before extraordinary items. Includes the tax effects of the following: income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, gain (loss) on disposal, provision (or any reversals of earlier provisions) for loss on disposal, and adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal.

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Amount of income (loss) from a disposal group, net of income tax, reported as a separate component of income before extraordinary items after deduction or consideration of the amount allocable to noncontrolling interests. Includes, net of tax, income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, gain (loss) on disposal, provision (or any reversals of earlier provisions) for loss on disposal, and adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal.

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