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Financial Instruments and Derivative Financial Instruments (Notes)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative [Line Items]  
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]
Financial Instruments and Derivative Financial Instruments
Concentrations of Credit Risks:  The Company sells its products to gas producers, distributors and end-users across the industrial gas, hydrocarbon, chemical processing and medical industries in countries all over the world. Approximately 59%, 56% and 58% of sales were to foreign countries in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. No single customer exceeded ten percent of consolidated sales in 2013, 2012 and 2011. Sales to the Company’s top ten customers accounted for 37%, 38% and 36% of consolidated sales in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company’s sales to particular customers fluctuate from period to period, but the large industrial gas producer and distributor customers of the Company tend to be a consistently large source of revenue for the Company.
The Company is also subject to concentrations of credit risk with respect to its cash and cash equivalents and forward foreign currency exchange contracts. To minimize credit risk from these financial instruments, the Company enters into arrangements with major banks and other quality financial institutions and invests only in high-quality instruments. The Company does not expect any counterparties to fail to meet their obligations in this area.
The changes in fair value with respect to the Company's foreign currency forward contracts generated net losses of $2,940 and $780 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 and a net gain of $1,233 for the year ended December 31, 2011.