Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2014	May 31, 2013	May 31, 2014	May 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 378,187	$ 344,205	$ 1,045,513	$ 952,482
Cost of products sold	229,637	207,301	640,737	575,032
Gross profit	148,550	136,904	404,776	377,450
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	83,498	74,323	244,655	222,521
Amortization of intangible assets	6,272	5,539	18,713	17,542
Operating profit	58,780	57,042	141,408	137,387
Financing costs, net	5,932	6,229	18,944	18,811
Intercompany expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income), net	620	911	3,087	1,518
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	52,228	49,902	119,377	117,058
Income tax expense	1,671	3,825	13,511	14,596
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	50,557	46,077	105,866	102,462
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Earnings from continuing operations	50,557	46,077	105,866	102,462
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	(139,060)	22,120	(130,667)
Net earnings (loss)	50,557	(92,983)	127,986	(28,205)
Comprehensive income	50,729	(97,951)	149,558	(32,969)
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	54,219	52,126	142,905	145,371
Cost of products sold	14,841	14,938	38,905	42,285
Gross profit	39,378	37,188	104,000	103,086
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	21,554	18,389	57,811	53,347
Amortization of intangible assets	318	318	954	958
Operating profit	17,506	18,481	45,235	48,781
Financing costs, net	6,122	6,279	19,400	19,046
Intercompany expense (income), net	(5,620)	(6,487)	(22,770)	(18,408)
Other expense (income), net	1,597	267	12,683	(480)
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	15,407	18,422	35,922	48,623
Income tax expense	(9,755)	1,412	(3,862)	7,420
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	25,162	17,010	39,784	41,203
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	25,395	(109,558)	109,714	(68,323)
Earnings from continuing operations		(92,548)	149,498	(27,120)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(435)	(21,512)	(1,085)
Net earnings (loss)	50,557	(92,983)	127,986	(28,205)
Comprehensive income	50,729	(97,951)	149,558	(32,969)
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	84,870	83,279	239,709	220,178
Cost of products sold	58,152	55,610	165,416	151,308
Gross profit	26,718	27,669	74,293	68,870
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	16,128	14,622	45,833	44,348
Amortization of intangible assets	2,575	2,592	7,726	7,906
Operating profit	8,015	10,455	20,734	16,616
Financing costs, net	0	3	3	9
Intercompany expense (income), net	560	637	5,555	1,716
Other expense (income), net	23	(115)	(395)	(579)
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	7,432	9,930	15,571	15,470
Income tax expense	2,306	761	4,580	435
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	5,126	9,169	10,991	15,035
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	20,151	(38,891)	9,488	(10,227)
Earnings from continuing operations		(29,722)	20,479	4,808
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(94,888)	56,494	(89,510)
Net earnings (loss)	25,277	(124,610)	76,973	(84,702)
Comprehensive income	25,621	(124,714)	99,361	(91,016)
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	239,098	208,800	662,899	586,933
Cost of products sold	156,644	136,753	436,416	381,439
Gross profit	82,454	72,047	226,483	205,494
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	45,816	41,312	141,011	124,826
Amortization of intangible assets	3,379	2,629	10,033	8,678
Operating profit	33,259	28,106	75,439	71,990
Financing costs, net	(190)	(53)	(459)	(244)
Intercompany expense (income), net	5,060	5,850	17,215	16,692
Other expense (income), net	(1,000)	759	(9,201)	2,577
Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense	29,389	21,550	67,884	52,965
Income tax expense	9,120	1,652	12,793	6,741
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	20,269	19,898	55,091	46,224
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	683	(1,827)	4,750	(1,392)
Earnings from continuing operations		18,071	59,841	44,832
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(43,737)	(12,862)	(40,072)
Net earnings (loss)	20,952	(25,666)	46,979	4,760
Comprehensive income	20,970	(30,396)	42,837	7,632
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 of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(46,229)	150,276	(123,952)	79,942
Earnings from continuing operations		150,276	(123,952)	79,942
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(46,229)	150,276	(123,952)	79,942
Comprehensive income	$ (46,591)	$ 155,110	$ (142,198)	$ 83,384